VOL 1: Even embers can Still Burn
by Thedragoness821
Summary: Summary: Set three weeks after the events of "The final Showdown", Walker and Alex are on leave so they can settle into their roles as new parents. Trivette is on his honeymoon with Erika and Bruscoe appoints a new ranger to fill in, will this be the push that Sydney and Gage need to finally stop pussy footing around their for one another? Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Walker Texas Ranger: Even Embers can Still Burn**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!**

 _Summary: Set three weeks after the events of "The final Showdown", Walker and Alex are on leave so they can settle into their roles as new parents. Trivette is on his honeymoon with Erika and Bruscoe appoints a new ranger to fill in for them, will this be the push that Sydney and Gage need to finally stop pussy footing around the feelings they obviously have for one another? On top of their personal matters, the rangers must also deal with a powerful gang that is staging a comeback._

 _AN: Since I HATED the WTF movie, "trial by fire" this story is what I thought the movie should have been. It has also been brought to my attention that I made a mistake and accidently called "The Final Showdown" "Trial by Fire" by mistake, I apologize for that, and it has been corrected._

"Well … today's the day." Gage said as he met up with Sydney in the hallway of Company B headquarters.

"Yep, today is the day we meet our new superior." Sydney said.

" _Temporary_ superior." Sydney clarified. "Stop talking like Walker is never coming back." She added, more to herself than Gage as he opened the door for her and they entered.

Laughter met their ears as a crowd of their coworkers so thick they couldn't even see through them, perplexed, they sidled their way through to the , standing in front of Walker's desk was a tall, imposing figure of a man.

He was dressed in a plum colored western shirt and a pair of light wash Cinch jeans that fit him right in all the right places. His hair was the color of molasses and his skin was smooth and sun kissed, his emerald eyes glittered as he excitedly told some story about how he took down some huge drug runners just a few miles before they got across the border, something about it being one the biggest seizures in Ranger history. But Sydney wasn't listing to any of that, for the sight of this man sent jolts of excitement to some _very_ unprofessional places.

Suddenly, someone knocked her in the shoulder, snapping her out of her trance, it was Gage.

"Syd have you been listening to anything I've been saying?" He said, there was an edge to his voice, was it jealousy? Sydney couldn't be sure, and even if it was, so what? Gage had _plenty_ if chances to do something about it and he had made it clear that he wasn't interested, at least not in anything serious.

"Well … if you will stop ogling our new commanding officer long enough to listen, I was _saying_ that his name is Chase Allen Barker and he heads up Ranger company A down in San Antonio." Gage said, his tone still short.

He knew this guy all right, he knew that he was famous among the other male rangers for his playboy ways. One thing was for sure, he didn't want this guy anywhere NEAR his partner, at least not in any sort of romantic fashion. In fact, he didn't want ANYONE near her in that fashion, but especially not someone like Barker.

Gage's haze of confused thoughts and feelings was sliced open like a knife by the sound of aa painfully familiar baritone voice. "Francis Gage? Is that you? Lord, it's been forever!" Gage cringed at the use of the first name he hated. If it wasn't for his promise to his sister after he lost a bet with her years back, he would have changed it long ago.

Gage forced his expression into what he hoped was a cordial smile. "Barker." He said as the two men shook hands, Sydney rolled her eyes as the two men gripped each other's hand harder and longer than was considered polite and they glared daggers at each other.

"Hi, _my_ name is Ranger Sydney Cooke." Sydney interjected, the testosterone in the atmosphere was so thick she felt she would choke on it. Barker turned to her and took her dainty hand in his rough, large one, his eyes never leaving hers.

"It is a pleasure, Miss Cooke, Walker has told me a lot about you. Your resume speaks for itself." He said as he flashed a charming smile at her, showing pearly white teeth.

Sydney felt heat rising to her face (along with other places) as she got lost in Barker's deep emerald eyes.

"Okay … well … unless you have an assignment for us, we have a mountain of paperwork to get to so if you'll excuse us …" Gage broke in as he put his arm protectively around Sydney's shoulders, his steel blue eyes flashing with anger and … jealousy.

"Actually, I _do_ have an assignment for you." Barker said as he motioned for them to follow him to his desk. He pulled a file out of the filing cabinet behind him and handed it to Gage.

"Los Draculs'? Walker and Trivette used to talk about them, I thought they were all either in jail or dead?" Gage said as he studied the file, his brow furrowing.

"In Dallas, yes, but they still had stakes in San Antonio and Houston. My informants tell me that they are staging a take back of Dallas in a big way, and soon.

These guys are major suppliers of cocaine and heroin to the lower forty eight. They used to run a club chain called the 'Tres Cervezas', and I want you two to infiltrate it and see what you can find out. I will handle everything here, you two go and get ready, you leave for your cover apartments tonight."

"We'll get right on it, sir." Sydney said with a flirtatious wink as she turned on her heel toward the door.

"Be back here at seven tonight, were I will brief you and arrange your cover vehicles." Barker said, returning her wink with one of his own.

 _Author's notes: Please be kind as this is my first WTR story, even though I have been a fan of the show for many years._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!**

"You mind telling me what in the hell that was?" Gage interrogated her as he followed her into the elevator.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Gage." Sydney said matter of factly as she pressed the button the parking garage with a little more force than what was needed, pointedly not meeting her partner's intense gaze, but she could feel it burning into her none the less.

"You were … _fawning_ over him like a horny school girl!" Gage practically bellowed.

Sydney whirled around to face him and he swore he could feel the heat from her anger born of her Latino roots radiating off of her as sparks flew in her dark eyes.

Fine, Gage! Fine! Yes, as a red blooded American woman, yes I found him very attractive! I am sorry if I _offended_ you, but it was nice to actually be treated like a _woman_ and not just like one of the boys for a change!"

Gage's expression softened. "Is that how you think I see you?" He said.

Sydney gave him a hard shrug, still refusing to look him in the eyes. "I don't know, Gage! One minute you are acting all possessive and jealous, and the next you are flirting and even kissing other women!"

"You are one to talk, one minute you are kissing _me_ , and the next you are giving me the cold shoulder! So what am I supposed to do!" He rallied, taking a step towards her and she held her ground, putting her hands on her hips and jutting her chin out defiantly at him.

The sight of her looking so irritated, so pissed, and so … adorable and Gage couldn't help it, he melted right there in front of her. His budding feelings for his partner suddenly took over and he stepped unconsciously forward, leaving very little distance between them.

"What would you do if I kissed you now?" He asked abruptly, his voice had suddenly dropped an octave and it had a husky undertone to it.

Sydney was caught totally off guard and she tried to maintain her defiant façade, but her reddening cheeks betrayed her. "Wha … what did you say?" She said, unable to keep the waver out of her voice as her hands fell from her hips to her sides.

"I _said_ … what would you do if I kissed you right now?" He asked again, his voice dropping another octave as he closed the remaining space between them.

"Luckily, the ding of the elevator spared Sydney an answer. She took the opportunity to elbow Gage painfully in the ribs, causing him to let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Come on, we'd better hurry if we are going to pack and be back here by seven." She said as she trotted to her vehicle, a souped up older model jeep wrangler, got in, and fired up the engine. She gave him a friendly goodbye salute before laying rubber on the parking garage floor and in a flash, she was gone.

* * *

"Ah Gage, Sydney, there you are! Here is the information for your new identities. Make sure you read them until you can recite every last word like its second nature to you." Barker said as he waved another ranger over to them, the flirtatious man was gone and the persona of an all-business cop replaced him.

"Ranger Mills will take you to your assigned vehicles, good luck you two, and be careful." He said, looking pointedly at Sydney.

"You can count on us, sir." Gage intercepted his gaze as he herded his partner away. Barker chuckled to himself. He really didn't have an interest in Ranger Cooke. But he just couldn't resist messing with Gage, he had always been a hothead and hell, maybe this would be the push he needed to finally act on the feelings he obviously had for his pretty partner.

* * *

Sydney groaned inwardly, this was going to be a tough one, Gage and her were supposed to be an on/off dating couple looking for work. A scenario WAY too close to home as far as she was concerned, not that they were dating … but their feelings certainly were on and off. Sydney's thoughts landed back to earlier in the elevator and her cheeks flushed again. If that elevator door hadn't opened, he would have kissed her, she was certain of it… and she would have let him.

She rubbed her face furiously. "What was she _thinking!_ This was her _partner_! Her coworker! Sure she trusted him with her life, and he trusted her with his, but that was it … wasn't it? No, it wasn't and she tried to think back to when things changed, but she couldn't place a specific point in time.

"Well, best to get this over with." She said as she exited her car and trudged up the urine permutated staircase, trying to breathe in as little of the putrid air as possible. 'Her' apartment wasn't any more charming, it had a dingy feel to it that made Sydney reluctant to touch anything without spraying it with disinfectant cleaner first, which she fully intended to do before she sat down anywhere.

* * *

Sydney wiped her sweaty brow with satisfaction as she looked at her now totally clean apartment. She flinched when a sudden knock came at her door, she couldn't help the smile that crossed her face at the sight of her partner's goofy grin through the peephole.

"Oh … I see your apartment isn't any better, but at least it's … cleaner." He said as he looked around.

"That's because I cleaned it, you should try it." She said, her tone was flat but her eyes held an amused glint.

A moment passed between them as they got lost in each other's eyes.

"So … why did you stop by anyway?" Sydney said, wincing mentally at how harsh her words had come out.

Gage tried to hide it, but she swore she saw a look of hurt flash in his eyes, but it was only for a split second, so she could have imagined it. "Well … I thought we could go over our new identities together so we could be as seamless as possible." He said, recovering quickly.

"Wow, why do they always give you a jerk as a cover!" Sydney said with a laugh as she read over Gage's cover file.

Gage shrugged. "Maybe because I am so good at playing one." He said, grinning shamelessly as he looked over her file. "What about _you_? Why does it always seem that you are playing some sexy seductress?"

In an instant, Sydney leaned in close to Gage, the sweet smell of her perfume mixed with her own unique scent floating on the breeze her movement created.

"Maybe because I am so good at it." She whispered into his ear, her voice low and sultry, her breath tickling his cheek. She smiled inwardly as she saw goose bumps erupt on his arms.

She hung there for a beat before sitting back against the couch with a satisfied smile as she raised her eyebrows at him. A now very flustered Gage exhaled sharply the breath he didn't even realize he had been holding as he quickly stood up.

"Well … I'd better go and turn in, I want to be at the top of my game tomorrow. I'll stop by here to pick you up about seven." He said, regarding her for a moment before letting himself out, leaving her even more confused, if that was even possible.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Sydney looked herself over in the mirror one final time, she had chosen a strappy, silk black cocktail dress they hit somewhere between her knees and her upper thighs, the sheer fabric clung in all the right places and blossomed into a flirtatious, flower like frill at the bottom.

A knock at the door startled her, he was right on time, she couldn't believe it, she trotted to the door and opened it. "Right on time, I'm impressed!" She said jokingly, but Gage wasn't listening, he was too busy drinking in the sight of her in that strappy, sexy dress.

"I … uh …" Gage trailed off, seemingly forgetting how to form words.

"Well, are we going or what? I don't want to be late for the interview and we don't know how much traffic there will be." She said as she walked to the door, Gage shook the cobwebs out of his head as he followed her.

* * *

"Can I help you?" The door man said, he was a large, imposing man that made Gage silently hope he wouldn't have to take him on.

"Hi, my name is Justine Sandoval and this is my boyfriend, James Sanders. We are here to interview for the … positions you have open." She said as she flashed a dazzling smile. The door man couldn't help it, he melted in wake of her presence and Gage couldn't blame him.

"Ah, yes! Miss Sandoval, please come in! Dorian is expecting you." He said as he waved them through.

"Please, sit." Dorian said as he motioned to two seats that were placed in front of his desk.

"Your reputations precede you." He said as he slowly rounded his desk, his fingers dragging lightly over the polished wood, his eyes never leaving them as he sat down and folded his hands in front of him.

"But, I will warn you, the both of you will be closely watched until I can trust you, because if you jerk me around, I _will_ kill you … _very_ slowly." Dorian said, a deadly glint in his eyes.

"Don't worry, boss, you can count on us." Gage reassured him as they all shook. "I surely hope so, you two are hired, you can start tonight."

* * *

"Syd, I want you to be careful with this one. This case is dangerous … and I know you can handle yourself, I'm just saying." He said as she opened her mouth to retort.

"I could say the same thing about you, Gage. Besides, you are a bouncer, I am the entertainer, in a way, I have you as a bodyguard." She said as she flashed him a sweet smile, which Gage returned.

"Yeah … I guess you're right." he said as Sydney made sure her wire was well hidden before attaching his. She unbuttoned his shirt and attached the device, Gage knew she didn't mean to, but just the mere act of her soft hands in contact with his skin caused his blood pressure to rise.

Sydney could feel his heart pounding and his breathing quicken beneath her hands and she raised her eyes to meet his. They stayed that way, their eyes locked on one another.

"I'm sorry …" she said, blushing brightly as she made to pull her hands away, but his hands stopped her.

"Syd I …" He began when his phone ringing into the silence of the apartment. Gage cursed under his breath as he answered it.

"What!" he barked into it.

"What's up with you, I'm not … _interrupting_ something, am I?" Barker's smooth voice said over the line, Gage grit his teeth.

"What do you want, Barker." Gage said through his gritted teeth.

"You know, Gage although my position might be temporary, as your superior officer, it wouldn't kill you to at least _try_ to show me some respect." Barker said, Gage growled, he could almost _see_ the smug grin on his stupid face.

"It'll be a cold day in hell before I refer to you as my _superior_ , Barker. You wouldn't even _be_ my superior if I hadn't done a stint in the army after the Academy. So I would appreciate it if you would just stay the hell out of my way and let me do my job" Gage ground as he hung up.

"UGH … that stupid, smug _jerk_!" Gage said, more to himself than Sydney.

"Still, like it or not, he _is_ our superior officer until Walker comes back. Now come on, let's get going or we're going to be late." Sydney replied.

* * *

"Ah, Justine, please right this way." Dorian said as he motioned for her to follow him. "You can get changed in here." He said as they came to a stop in front of a dressing room door.

"What I am wearing isn't appropriate?" Sydney said as she flashed him a charming smile.

"Well, yes, but we like our entertainers to have a certain, how do you say, gene se qua." He said as he returned her smile with one of his own that didn't melt the ice in his eyes. "That isn't going to be a problem, is it?" He asked as his grin dropped a fraction.

"Nope, I will get changed right away." She said as she entered the room and closed the door behind her.

Knowing they probably had cameras in every room except the closet, so she took her outfit she was to wear into the large walk in closet and closed the door behind her.

"Clever girl." Dorian said, sitting back in his desk chair with a glass of scotch as she watched her disappear from his view.

Sydney was having a predicament of her own, she eyed the skimpy, strapless cocktail dress that she knew would leave _very_ little to the imagination … and little cover to hide her wire. She cursed under her breath, she would have to put it around her midsection and pray that it wouldn't be seen.

"Come on, I think you have had enough." Gage said as he escorted two brawling patrons out of the club.

"But Ima jus getting' started!" one of them said drunkenly as he tossed them out the front door.

"Well, then you'll have to 'get started' somewhere else, pal." Gage said as he and a huge hulk of a man by the name of Curtis dusted their hands off and walked back inside.

They reentered the club to the sound of cheers and clapping, the sound of familiar, angelic singing filtered to Gage's ears. He swore he could have picked his jaw up off the floor when he saw her.

She was dressed in a strapless, sequined red cocktail dress that barely covered her … assets and hugged her in all the right places. She sashayed her hips in time with the song she was singing as though the music were taking possession of her.

Gage didn't like the way Dorian seemed to undress her with his eyes as she sang seductively into the microphone, he also couldn't help wondering just _where_ she put her wire in that skimpy outfit, part of him was dying to find out.

"Stunning, Justine. Simply stunning." Dorian said, clapping as he met up with her back stage.

"Thanks." Sydney said, giving him a charming smile as he walked her back to her dressing room. "That, what you are wearing, is how I want you to dress _every_ night." He said as they came to a stop in front of her door.

"Why, because it brings in the crowds?" She quipped.

"Yes, and … because _I_ like it." Dorian said, looking her up and down with a hungry glint in his eyes, he suddenly pulled her close, catching her off guard.

"You know, as good as you look in that dress, I confess that all I have been thinking about is taking it _off_." He said as he ran his hands up and down the length of her body.

Then, suddenly, he reached up under the skimpy dress. "Care to explain this?" He asked as he held the wire in front of her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Dorian's large hand shot out with the quickness of a striking cobra and grabbed Sydney around the throat, catching her off guard and lifting her right off her feet.

"Didn't I tell you not to cross me?" He said, his tone menacing and his eyes as cold as ice. He drew his pistol and put it against her temple.

Through the haze of unconsciousness threatening to overwhelm her, Sydney willed herself to fight back, he she was going out, she wasn't going out without a fight. She brought her legs up and kneed Dorian in the gut hard. He stumbled back, coughing. She delivered a roundhouse to his head, rendering him unconscious just as Gage stormed in, a wild, panicked look in his eyes.

"Syd! You okay?"

"Yeah!" Sydney coughed as she rubbed her neck, knowing there would be a bruise there tomorrow.

"You sure showed him, didn't you?" He said as he cuffed the still unconscious club owner.

"Sydney shrugged. "Jerk put his hands on the wrong girl." She said, her voice slightly huskier than usual as she cleared her throat.

"You sure you're okay?" Gage asked as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Sure, never better." She said as she flashed him a charming smile.

* * *

"Geeze, Sydney. You came really close, you know that?" Barker said as he tilted her head to get a better view of the bruise around her throat.

"I know, something Gage takes every opportunity to remind me of." Barker didn't bother to hide his amused smile.

"And so he should, things could have gone really bad for you in there." He said as he put a huge hand on her shoulder.

"I appreciate your concern, Captain, but I am an officer of the law, close calls kind of come with the job description." She said as she offered him a kind smile before excusing herself to start on the mountain of paperwork that was piling up on the case.

* * *

Barker stepped into the gym to the sound of a punching bag being repeatedly struck, he turned the corner to see Gage punching and roundhouse kicking a punching bag with all his might. He was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, it was clear he had been at this for a while.

"How about a sparring partner, so that punching bag can have a break?" Barker said, Gage wheeled around and faced him.

"It would be my pleasure." Gage said, his eyes hardening as they moved into the center of the room.

"So, when are you going to do it?" Barker said as he threw a left hook, which Gage easily dodged.

"Do what?" Gage replied as he aimed a roundhouse kick straight at Barker's head.

"Make your move on that pretty partner of yours." Barker said as he deflected his kick with his arm and shoved Gage back.

"What makes you think I want to make a move on her?" Gage replied as he put Barker into a standing choke hold from behind.

Barker jerked him forward, flipping Gage over his head and slamming him on his back. "Oh, come on, Gage, everyone knows you have a thing for her … well everyone except the one person who matters … her." He said, kneeling over Gage as he coughed, trying to get his breath back.

"I am going to tell you this now because even though I give you a lot of shit, I do respect you as a man; I am going to give you ONE final chance to make your move, but I warn you, if you don't, I will."

With a roar, Gage swept Barker's legs out from under him and pinned him to the ground with an arm bar.

"Listen, Gage. Sydney is a special woman; she is smart, cunning, resourceful, all the things that make her a great cop and a great partner. But she is also kind, caring, generous, and nurturing, which are all the things that make her a great _woman_. She is one in a million, Gage, and she deserves a man who appreciates her for all that she is." Barker said through a grimace as Gage tightened his hold.

"And you are saying that is _you_?" Gage snorted as Barker let him up.

"No, I am _saying_ that if you can't, or you _aren't_ going to be that for her, then you owe it to her to stand aside and make room for someone that _can_." Barker said as he left him to his thoughts.

As much as Gage hated to admit it, Barker was right, he needed to either step up, or step out of the way for someone who could.

* * *

The scowl on Dorian's face was evident when Sydney and Gage walked into the interrogation room where he was being held.

"I should have known … your reputations _seemed_ to be too good to be true." He said as he sat back in his chair as far as his restraints would allow.

"Assaulting an officer, gambling, and our favorite, drug trafficking, that's a felony, you know." Gage said as he and Sydney sat across from him.

"Now, you're big, but we also know that you answer to someone, and if you tell us who that someone is, we would be willing to put in a good word with the feds and maybe get them to drop the felony charges to state charges." Sydney said.

There was a long pause before Dorian spoke. "I can't … he'll kill me."

Sydney rose from her chair and walked slowly and purposefully around the table until she stood behind Dorian. "How long do you think you'll last in federal prison when the word gets out that you're a nark?" She said as she looked at Gage with a raised eyebrow.

"You can't do that!" Dorian said as he pulled against his restraints.

"Can … and _will_ … unless you start talking." Sydney said as she bent down close to Dorian's ear.

"You bitch! I'll kill you!" he said as he leapt against his chains like a wild animal, upsetting the table in the process.

"Yeah, you already tried that and it didn't work, remember?" So you have a choice to make, either talk, and get segregation in Huntsville, or get shanked in federal prison." she said as she pushed a notepad and pen towards him.

Dorian had murder in his eyes as he started writing down everything he knew.

"Mark my words, you little bitch, you'd better watch that pretty little back of yours, because I'm going to make you pay for what you both did if it's the last thing I do."

Gage was in the man's face in a second.

"If anything happens to her and I trace it back to you, your fellow prisoners will be the LEAST of your problems." Gage growled into Dorian's face.

"Gage … hey … it's okay, we got what we wanted, its done." Sydney said as she put her arm around her partner's broad shoulders.

"He's sweet on you, and it makes him act foolishly." Dorian said as he flashed Sydney a dangerous smile.

Gage jerked the door to the observation room open with more force than was needed as Sydney followed him in.

"Gage come on, don't let him get to you." She said as he watched the criminal through the one way mirror, his hands resting on the ledge.

"What do you say we stop in at CD's for a burger and a beer?" She said, knowing that he could never turn that down. Sure enough, he turned to her with a grin.

"Sounds great."

* * *

Sydney watched in amusement as Gage devoured a double bacon cheeseburger with reckless abandon.

"Did you even _taste_ that?" She asked with a laugh.

"Yes I did and it was Delicious!" Gage said as he wiped his mouth with his napkin, Sydney stifled a yawn. The day's events had drained her more than she thought, and the three longnecks she had downed to relax hadn't helped, either.

"Syd I don't think you should drive…" Gage started.

"That's why I 'm not, I'm going to leave my car here and take a cab." She said.

"No … no way, Syd, not after the way Dorian threatened you, he has ties all over the Dallas area, let me at least take you home, we can take your car, I'll drive." Gage offered, Sydney thought about protesting, but she knew once Gage insisted on doing something for someone, there was no changing his mind.

 _A/N: Yes I know this was a bit of an abrupt end, but this chapter was going to be HORRIBLY long if I didn't end it here._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"I really appreciate this." She said as they pulled into her parking space, Gage didn't reply as he put the jeep in park and made to get out.

"Wait … what are you doing?!" Sydney said, starting to panic.

"I'm … gonna walk you to your apartment." He said, giving her a puzzled look, Sydney let out a puff of air; of course he was, she mentally chastised herself for thinking his intentions were anything other than honorable. Gage was a bit of a playboy, but he _did_ have strong values of honor and was a very chivalrous man.

He had walked her to the door and insisted on helping her search the apartment to make sure it was safe.

"I really appreciate everything you do for me." Sydney said as they stood facing one another, an awkward pause ensued as Gage cleared his throat nervously.

"Syd I …" Gage trailed off as she cupped his face with her small, dainty hands, in her eyes he could see desire without inhibition, a result of a tad too much alcohol. It dawned on Gage that she might not be of sound mind and he stepped away from her.

"Syd, we can't do this." He said.

"Oh." She replied as she tried, and failed to keep the hurt and disappointment out of her voice.

"It's not that I don't want to, you're half ass drunk and it wouldn't be right for me to …" He trailed off.

"Then we won't go past second base." She said as she drew close to him again, slipped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.

Gage couldn't help it, his body just responded to her; he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her slender waist as he deepened the kiss, his tongue boldly entering her mouth to entangle with her own.

When the need for air finally became impossible to ignore they finally parted, both breathless, their foreheads touching.

"That … that is why we can't do this, right now, Syd. You're half ass drunk and not of sound mind, it wouldn't be right." Gage said.

Sydney inwardly cursed his presently annoying sense of chivalry.

Gage, seemingly sensing her confusion, reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "It's not that I am not attracted to you; its because I AM … and if you kiss me like that again I don't know if I can control myself." He said with a sheepish grin.

Knowing that she wouldn't change his mind, Sydney conceded defeat, knowing she wouldn't change his mind.

"Well … thank you for bringing me home." She said as they walked to her door, he made to open it when she suddenly grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into another passionate kiss.

A growl escaped Gage's throat as he pushed her against the wall, his hands took on a mind of their own as they roved over her body, leaving a trail of fire behind them.

Things threatened to get out of hand again as he wrenched himself away from her.

"Please … just let me go, you're killing me here." He said as he flashed her a goofy grin.

"Okay, Gage, you win." She said as she opened the door for him and he exited before he lost the one shred of resolve he was hanging on to.

Gage sat in Sydney's jeep, taking a moment to compose himself. He could still smell her on him, he had to get home and take a cold shower, STAT!

* * *

 _A growl escaped Gage's throat as he pushed her against the wall and ravaged her mouth again, his hands took on a mind of their own and somehow found their way to the waistband of her jeans and unbuttoned them. Then, a strange buzzing reached her ears …'_

Sydney's eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright in bed, she immediately wished she hadn't as her head throbbed, a result of last night's festivities. She trudged to the mirror and as she gazed upon her appearance, which looked like death warmed over and she was almost glad that Gage didn't end up spending the night.

She turned the shower on and didn't even use the hot water, she wanted the shower as cold as possible, she inhaled sharply as she stepped into the icy water, it felt like heaven on her flushed skin.

She reached for the shampoo and took her time lathering her hair, she washed the shampoo out and put conditioner in while she drizzled some of her favorite body wash into her sponge. As she washed herself, she thought of Gage and the steamy session they had shared last night, her skin grew flush at the mere thought of it and she could still feel his hands roaming over her body.

Panic suddenly set in as the realization of what she had done washed over her, what in the hell had she been _thinking_?!

' _It was the alcohol, that's all … you just had a little bit too much to drink last night and it was messing with your resolve.'_ She thought to herself, she was going to have to apologize to Gage for her behavior last night, and for possibly ruining their friendship.

* * *

Gage couldn't help the wide grin that crossed his face when he saw his partner walk through the door.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked as she sat down in her place across from him.

"Foolish." She said as she grinned sheepishly, Gage noticed that she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Syd, are you sure you're okay?" He asked, when she finally looked at him, his face harbored a genuine look of compassionate concern that she had a sudden almost overwhelming urge to plant a kiss on him right then and there.

' _Stop it! your relationship is supposed to be a PROFESSIONAL friendship, nothing more, nothing less!'_ The little voice in her head chastised her.

"Gage, Sydney, I just got word from one of my informants that another shipment is going to be on the move into Dallas from Mexico. It's supposed to arrive tonight, here is the address of the warehouse, I want you two to stake it out.

"Ugh … I hate this, I hate the waiting." Gage said as he rubbed his eyes.

"You want to catch some Z's I can take the first shift, I drank a bit too much coffee at headquarters today." She said as she offered him a kind smile. Gage graciously accepted her offer and settled into his seat for a bit of shut eye.

* * *

"Gage! Wake up! Something's happening!" Sydney said as she nudged him awake.

"Huh? What time is it?" Gage slurred as he rubbed his face.

"Just after 2AM." Sydney replied as she handed him a pair of binoculars.

They watched as a semi-truck and trailer pulled on to one of the loading docks. Sydney picked up the radio and called for backup.

"Let's go get em'." Gage said as they drew their weapons and advanced on the warehouse.

Once inside they looked at each other in shock, this shipment was HUGE, and it would be a lot of drugs off the streets, even if they didn't get the boss.

"Gage counted to three with his fingers and they made their move.

"Texas Rangers! You're all under arrest!" Sydney shouted as a small gun battle ensued between them and the smugglers, but they soon had them secured.

"Someone tipped the boss off, because he didn't show up." Gage said as he lifted one of the smugglers into a sitting position.

"How'd your boss get wise? I can't imagine you telling him." He said.

"I ain't saying nothing, I know my rights." The man said, the others nodded and no one would say anything else.

Suddenly, Sydney saw something, it was a glint, a reflection, her blood ran cold as she realized what it was.

"Gage! She shouted as she jumped in front of him and fired the rest of her clip, they heart a shout and an impact of a body falling, Gage rushed to the source of the sound to find a man lying dead next to what looked to be a Remington 700.

"Syd, how did you know …" Gage trailed off as he watch his partner collapsed in front of him, blood staining her shirt.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The next series of events were a blur for Gage; him cradling his partner, putting pressure on the wound so she didn't bleed out, the helicopter landing and taking him and his partner away (he had insisted on riding with her, he couldn't have lived with himself if she had slipped away and he wasn't there), Walker, Alex and Trivette meeting him and Barker at the hospital.

"Oh, Gage! We came as soon as we heard!" Alex said as she gave him a hug.

Gage was at a loss for words, everything had happened so fast, and he collapsed against Alex's mothering hug, allowing her to envelop him.

"We still don't know anything, she is still in surgery, I don't know … its been so long and …" Gage trailed off as he withdrew from Alex's hug.

"Hey! Don't go talking like that! Syd's tough! She's gonna pull through!" Trivette said as they all sat in the waiting room.

It seemed like centuries had passed before the doctor came out to talk to them.

"Rangers, My name is Doctor Gentry. I have some good news and some bad news; the good news is she made it through surgery, but we almost lost her twice. The bad news is she's not out the woods by a long shot. The bullet went through two ribs, punctured her lung and lacerated her liver. There has been a good amount of damage, but she still was lucky, about a half inch to the left and she wouldn't have made it to the hospital at all." He said.

"But will she be _okay_?" Gage said, his eyes desperately searching the Doctor's face.

"It is still too soon to tell, she did make it through the surgery, that is a small victory, but the next few weeks are going to be crucial. I will say this, she is a strong girl" Gentry said.

"Can we see her?" Gage asked.

"Of course, but only one at a time and not for long, just don't expect much in way of response, she will be in a coma for quite some time while her body heals." Gentry said as he flagged down a nurse to show them to Sydney's room.

"You go first, Gage. We can wait." Walker said with a knowing twinkle in his eyes. Gage nodded his head in a hasty thanks as he went inside.

He took a deep steadying breath before he approached her bedside and sat down in the chair that had been provided.

"Oh, Syd …" Gage said as he brushed some of her inky hair away from her face, she looked so peaceful, like she was merely sleeping and was going to wake up any minute.

"I should have waited for backup instead of rushing in there halfcocked like I always do. I was so afraid we would miss the drop, I put catching those assholes over your safety, it should be _me_ in that bed instead of you, he was shooting at _me_ Syd, _why_ did you have to ..." He trailed off as tears welled up in his eyes.

He loved her … there … he said it; and now he might not ever get the chance to tell her because he was a coward.

"Oh, Walker, this is awful!" Alex said as they watched through the room's window. Walker remained silent, but his thoughts didn't. He was genuinely worried about Gage, he didn't know how he would take it if Sydney didn't pull through, and after talking more with the doctor, he knew there was a real chance they might lose her.

"Ranger Walker? I am sorry but visiting hours are over, I am afraid I am going to have to ask you all to leave." A nurse said.

"Okay, ma'am, but you had better let that boy stay, because I don't think a herd of wild horses could drag him away." Walker said with a small smile, The nurse smiled sadly.

"It's so sweet, isn't it? He came in on the chopper with her, and he never moved from the waiting room, not even to eat or drink, we had to bring it to him." She said with a sad smile as she left to go on her rounds.

"Walker, I'm worried about how Gage will take it if she doesn't …" Trivette trailed off.

"I know, Trivette, but the best thing we can do now is be there ... for both of them." Walker said as they all walked out together.

Walker and Alex's drive home was a silent one, they were both were deep in thought.

"Alex, you know what this means." Walker said as they pulled into the drive.

"That you're going back to work early." Alex replied.

"I'm sorry, honey, but with Sydney being shot and Gage not fit for duty right now, our friends need my help. We have to find the bastard who did this." Walker said as he put his hand over Alex's.

"I know, Walker, just be careful, I don't want to be a widow." She said as she waggled her finger at him.

Walker chuckled in spite of himself as they went inside to relieve the babysitter.

* * *

"Ranger Walker, sir! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Barker said as he strode around his desk to shake the older ranger's hand.

"Nice to finally meet you, Ranger Barker, your reputation precedes you." Walker said.

"As does yours!" Barker replied with a wide grin.

"You said you encountered the Dracul's in San Antonio?" Walker asked as Trivette joined him.

"Yes, I thought they were all either dead, or in prison, but it looks like some of them might have slipped through the cracks, still, they can't be the Dracul's A listers." Barker said.

"They were good enough to get the drop on Sydney and Gage, if it wasn't for Sydney's excellent marksmanship, we might have two rangers in the hospital, or worse." Walker said.

"Yeah, she's really something, all right. It's been a long time since I met a ranger, let alone a female one with her dedication, fire and toughness. Hell, she is tougher than most _men_ I know. No one wants to spar in the gym with her, Gage is the only one who's brave enough." Barker said, a nostalgic smile crossing his face.

"It sounds like you think a lot of her." Walker said with an amused glint in his eyes, Barker chuckled, knowing what he was hinting at.

"Yeah, but I don't want to step on someone else's toes if you know what I mean." He said with a wink.

"Yeah, I could tell they were growing close ... too close. Normally I wouldn't encourage that kind of thing, but they made such a good team, I just couldn't bear to split them up. When Gage first joined with the rangers, and he was being assigned a partner, he insisted that Syd was the only ranger he wanted to work with, and he came to the rangers with a reputation of being hard to work with and standoffish." Walker said as he sank into his own nostalgic thoughts.

But, Sydney was somehow able to push past that and befriend the surly young ranger. Hell, she managed to do a hell of a lot more than just befriend him, somehow, at some point, she had captured his heart.

Walker thought back to when he first realized his own heart had been roped by Alex, it was the most exhilarating, terrifying time of his life and he had never felt like that with anyone else. Whether Gage knew it or not … he was hooked, all Syd had to do was slowly reel him in, if only she had realized she had a fish on the line before it was too … no … he wasn't going to think like that, she was going to be okay … she _had_ to be okay.

 _AN: Thank you to everyone who favorited this story, I really appreciate it! When I posted it, I never thought it would get this much love and traffic, thanks! Keep reviewing, reviews are sugar highs for my fingers._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Gage's eyes slowly opened and he rubbed his face wearily. He felt like he hadn't even slept, a sad smile crossed his face as he thought of how Sydney would kick his ass if she saw him carrying on like this.

A sudden sense of realization washed over him, and he stood up.

"Time to stop being a little bitch, Gage. Sitting around here, blubbering isn't going to help Sydney, but finding who DID this to her so he can't hurt anyone else IS. It's … it's what she would want." He said to himself.

* * *

"Gage …!" Trivette trailed off as he walked into Ranger headquarters, the aura of determination around him was palpable.

"Gage, what are you doing here." Walker said, wording his sentence more as a statement than a question as he stepped onto the young ranger's path.

"I am here to help find the asshole that did this to my partner." Gage said matter of factly. "Walker, please. If this were Alex, you would be on the front lines, you can't send me away, let me help Walker, I NEED to help." Gage pleaded.

Walker blew out a deep sigh, Gage was right; it would be unfair to send him away, because he knew he would be doing the exact same thing.

"Okay, okay, Gage. Come on, Trivette and I will get you caught up on the case." Walker said as he put his arm around Gage's shoulders.

* * *

"I don't like this, Walker. Everything has been _too_ quiet." Trivette said as they had spent the day running down leads and had nothing to show for it.

"I know, they're like roaches that scatter when the light is turned on." Walker said.

A look of enlightenment suddenly crossed Gage's face as he hurriedly picked up the phone.

"Hey, it's Gage. You know that favor you owe me? It's time to pony up." He said as he hung up.

* * *

Every head in ranger headquarters turned to take in the sight before them, a woman strode in; she was wearing a hot red cocktail dress that flowed flirtatiously somewhere between her knees and her thighs and made her long legs seem to go on forever.

"Jinx!" Gage said as he rose to shake her hand.

"Ranger Gage! Lord I haven't seen you since collared me in that huge nightclub bust two years ago!" Jinx said as she gave Gage a warm hug.

"I wish I had time to catch up, Jinx, but something terrible has happened and I need that favor you owe me."

"Oh … Ranger Cooke … yeah, I heard about her, such a shame." She said as she clicked her tongue sadly.

"The guy who shot her runs a huge drug operation, but the son of a bitch bolts down the rabbit hole if he even gets so much as a hint of our scent.

"And you think that _my_ scent won't be as spooky, is that what you're saying?" Jinx said as she flashed him a flirtatious smile.

"That's _exactly_ what I'm saying." Gage said with a charming grin.

"Consider it done, sugar. You know, that partner of yours better know how lucky she is." She said with a wink as she sashayed out of headquarters under the scrutiny of every male officer in the room.

Trivette let out a low wolf whistle. "If there ever was someone who made a man wish he wasn't married … "

Gage let out a laugh. "If you knew her like I did, she wouldn't be nearly as attractive, _believe_ me. She'd chew you up and spit you out." He said as he grabbed his coat and hurried out.

"Wait … where are you going?" Trivette called after him.

"To see Syd!" Gage called over his shoulder.

* * *

"Ranger Gage, I don't want to get your hopes up, but today she did respond to stimulus." Doctor Gentry said.

"What does that _mean_?" Gage asked in earnest.

"It means … that there is a chance, a _chance_ that she could regain consciousness." Gentry said.

Gage entered Sydney's room and sat in the chair next to her bed.

"We're really close to finding the guy who did this to you. I promise you, if it's the last thing I do, I am going to make that bastard pay." He said as he placed his hand over hers.

"There are so many things I wish I would have told you, but … no time like the present, right? So here it goes; I have always loved the sound of your voice, too, and every day when I wake up, I can't wait to get to work and see you. I love you, Syd. I have for a long time. I just never wanted to admit it to myself." He said as he gave her a tender kiss on the cheek.

Gage could have sworn he felt Sydney's hand squeeze his own and his heart leapt with cautious hope and joy.

"Syd? Can you hear me? Can you try and open your eyes for me?" He said as he took her hand in his and placed it against his cheek.

Sydney's eyes slowly fluttered open as the form of her partner slowly came into focus.

"Bout time you came clean." She said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Gage dropped her hand in shock.

"Syd?! Oh … thank god! Don't you _ever_ do that to me again!" He said as he kissed her hand before jumping up to fetch the doctor.

"I have to say, Ranger Cooke, you are one lucky and tough woman." Doctor Gentry said as he took her vitals and checked her reflexes.

"When can I get out of here, Doc?" Sydney asked him.

"Provided you can get someone to stay with you, I don't see why you can't go home by this weekend." Doctor Gentry said.

"I'll stay with her." Gage said without hesitation as Walker, Alex and Trivette walked in and gave her a warm welcome with hugs and smiles.

"It's good to have you back, Syd." Walker said as he put a hand on her shoulder.

She smiled warmly at him. "It's good to be back."

 _A/N: I am sorry if this chapter isn't up to par, I really had trouble with it for some reason, also, I apologize for all the page breaks, it wouldn't have made sense if I hadn't inserted them. Also, as always please read and review!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Gage, I appreciate everything you're doing, I really do, but I am not going to shatter into a million pieces, I promise." Sydney said as he helped her carry her things up to her apartment, after insisting that he drive her home.

"Come on, Syd. Stop being such a hard ass and let someone take care of you for once!" Gage said, becoming slightly irritated and hurt that she resisted his help so vehemently.

"Sorry." Sydney said, trying to hide her hurt as she looked anywhere but into Gage's eyes.

' _Shit!'_ Gage cursed himself.

"Look … Syd, I'm sorry. But I care about you and I want to be there for you like you were for me. When I lost my hearing, even though I was a jerk to you, you never left me. No one has cared for me like you do, so let me be there for you now." He said as he tipped her chin so her eyes met his.

She offered him a smile. "I'm sorry, it's just how I grew up, we were very poor and I had to work for everything I had, and couldn't depend on anyone, I guess old habits die hard." She said with a shrug.

"Syd, I won't ever let you down, I am your partner, and your friend and if you give me the chance I could be more … much more." He said as he began to slowly close the distance between them.

"Did you mean it when you said that you loved me?" Sydney asked abruptly as he cupped her face in his hands and stared unabashedly into her eyes.

"Come on, Syd. You know me well enough to know that I don't say things I don't mean." He said as his lips descended onto hers.

* * *

Sydney's eyes slowly opened, she glanced at the clock, it was just after five in the morning, she turned over to find the other side of the bed vacant, had the events of last night just been a result of another of her dreams?

Then the wonderful smell of coffee and breakfast cooking reached her nostrils and roused her from bed.

"Hey … sorry if I woke you, I tried to be quiet. I just wanted to cook you breakfast before I had to be at work" Gage said as he poured her a cup of coffee.

"Breakfast?" She repeated as she put cream and sugar into her coffee and took a deep sip.

"French toast." He said with a huge grin, and she laughed in spite of herself as she set the table.

"And you didn't dirty every dish in my kitchen, I am impressed." She said as she playfully socked him in the shoulder.

"Still, you're cleaning up, since I was the one who cooked." He said, shooting a playful grin at her as they sat down to eat.

* * *

"How's Sydney doing?" Walker asked when Gage walked in to headquarters.

"Pissed that she couldn't come." Gage said, not bothering to hide a grin.

Walker chuckled. "Glad to hear she is feeling better, Alex said she was going to stop by later on today."

Gage smiled. "She'll like that."

Walker's phone rang and he picked it up. "Walker." He answered into the receiver, a smile crossed his weathered face as he handed the phone to Gage. "It's for you."

"Well, hello there, sugar." Jinx's sultry voice purred across the line.

"Whata you got?" Gage asked, seemingly oblivious to her charms.

"Ya'll better get set, your boy's fixin' to make his drop tonight via ship in Galveston. From the way he talks, this could be the big one." She said.

"Okay, thanks for all your help, Jinx, maybe I can put in a good word with the DA, and see about getting your parole reduced." Gage said as he hung up.

"Jinx says the gig's going down tonight."

* * *

Trivette, Gage, Walker and a team of DEA and ATF agents met to be briefed in one of the empty conference rooms at Ranger Headquarters. The door opened and every head turned to take in the sight that walked in.

Gage laughed out loud at the expressions on Walker and Trivette's faces as in walked none other than Jinx, dressed in full DEA SWAT gear complete with a bullet proof vest.

"Walker, Trivette, meet DEA Agent Tina Michaels." Gage said with a laugh.

"So she was undercover this entire time?!" Trivette said.

"Yep, she was part of the El Leon bust, but she still had to remain incognito as not to compromise any of her future undercover work, she asked us to 'arrest' her, too as a favor." Gage explained.

"So _that's_ what you meant when you said she owed you a favor." Walker said as an amused smile crossed his face.

"Surely you didn't think I was _actually_ a hooker, did you, Ranger Walker?" Tina said with a friendly smile, gone was the sultry act she had been putting on, and her real persona of a down to earth, no nonsense cop replaced it.

"Well … you're act _was_ pretty convincing." Walker said with a hearty chuckle.

"Well, I will consider it a compliment that my act was good enough to fool even the famous Cordell Walker." Tina said with a throaty laugh as the leader of the task force, a burly man about Walker's age by the name of Carl Masters stood and cleared his throat.

"Well, now that we have all had a chance to get acquainted, let's get started." He said as he passed out information and mug shots.

"His name is Seth Rodriguez, he has been in and out of Huntsville and federal prison, but we could never make anything stick. This is our one chance to really bury him in some hard time as well as put a huge dent in the Dracul's operations." Agent Masters said.

"Now, according to the inside information complied at great risk by Agent Michaels, we know that the next big shipment will be arriving by boat in Galveston tonight. Get together what you need; we will be leaving in an hour." Agent Masters said.

* * *

Gage, Walker and Trivette returned to find Sydney standing in front of her desk, her overnight bag slung over her shoulder.

"Syd, what are you doing?" Walker asked, somewhat exasperated, he didn't have _time_ for this!

"I'm coming with you." She said as she crossed her arms stubbornly.

"I think the department physician will have something to say about that, Syd." Walker replied with a hard look in his eyes.

"I don't give a shit what he says, I think I deserve face the bastard who shot me." Sydney said, Walker let out an exasperated sigh and turned to Trivette.

"Walker, if it were you, and Bruscoe were telling you the same thing, you would be saying the same thing that Sydney is saying to you." Trivette said as he waggled his finger at his partner and friend.

Walker remained silent, because he knew that Trivette was right, he put a hand on Sydney's shoulder.

"Okay, Sydney. But you _have_ to stay off the front lines, and that's an order." He said as his face harbored a benevolent smile.

"You got it, Boss." Sydney said with a grin.

 _A/N: Sorry this took a little while, I had it written, then I didn't like where it was going to I rewrote it. Also, I want to thank everyone who has shown this story the love, I never thought the feedback would be this positive, and for that, I thank you ^_^_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Sydney tossed her bag on the floor and collapsed, face down on the dingy bed, not even caring what residues might be lingering on the stained comforter. It had been an almost six hour drive through heavy rush hour traffic and her body was killing her from all the sitting.

She rolled over on her back with a hiss of pain, she could feel the new scars, both inside and out throbbing dully and she bit back a whimper at a sharp stab of pain from her still healing broken ribs.

She groaned as someone knocked on her door.

"Who is it?" She called, trying, and failing to keep the weariness and pain out of her voice.

"It's Gage." A flurry of emotions erupted inside her, she was half way between excitement and dread, dread because she knew that as soon as she opened the door, he would know she was hurting, and he would insist she go home.

She pulled herself up and opened the door for him.

She knew he could tell as soon as he saw her that she was hurting.

"I shouldn't have let you come, Syd." Gage said, a protective edge to his voice as he stepped toward her.

" _What_ did you say?!" She said, her eyes flashing angrily as she stepped back from him, He remained silent.

"I don't know where the hell you get off, Gage, but I am not your girlfriend, and even if I were, it still wouldn't give you the right to treat me like a child that needs your permission to do anything or go anywhere. It'll be a cold day in _hell_ before I let _anyone_ do that." She said as she crossed her arms and stared right at him, her dark eyes ablaze.

The sting from her rebuttal caused Gage's temper to flare.

"Syd, is it so _hard_ for you to let someone _in_?!" Gage said as he threw his hands up in frustration

"It is if I have to lose myself in the process." She retorted coolly as she stood her ground.

"And you wonder why you haven't had a date, or a relationship in so long, Syd? _This_ is why! Because you're an ice queen who pushes anyone away who gets too close to you!" Gage spat, his anger taking control of his tongue.

The look on her face immediately made him regret it; Sydney looked at him as though he had just slapped her, and he basically had … emotionally.

' _Shit!'_ He cursed himself.

"Syd, look, I …"

"Gage, I think you'd better go." She interrupted him, her voice barely above a whisper as she turned her back to him.

"Syd look, I'm sorry, I got angry, I didn't mean it." He said as he put a hand on her shoulder, she shrugged it off and jerked away from him, spinning around to face him, hot angry tears were running down her beautiful face and Gage felt like someone had just stabbed him in the heart.

"I said GO!" She yelled as she shoved him hard toward the door. In her anger, she had forgotten her still healing body, but it was quick to send her a brutal, painful reminder. White hot pain shot through her as she doubled over, gritting her teeth against it.

"GO!" She yelled through her gritted teeth as he took a step toward her, she retreated and slowly sat on the bed, taking deep breaths, waiting for the pain to return to a manageable level.

"Get … the hell out of here, Gage, and as far as I am concerned, our time as partners is _done_." She said, slightly breathless from the pain.

Gage wanted so much to apologize, to grovel at her feet for forgiveness, but he knew it would fall on deaf ears. So he left without another word or look.

* * *

"Okay, the shipment is already in, according to my informants, it arrived a few days ago and is located over here." Michaels said as she drew a diagram of the ship yard.

"This is our target." She said as she produced a satellite image of the yard and circled one of the containers.

"Geeze, that's going to be hard to infiltrate without being made." Trivette said as he turned to Walker.

But Walker didn't seem to be listening to anything anyone was saying, he was busy studying their two junior rangers. He noticed that when they arrived, they made it a point not to make eye contact, or sit near one another.

Walker rubbed his chin thoughtfully, what could have happened?

"Walker, are you even _listening_?" Trivette said as he nudged his friend.

"Yeah, I'm listening, I'm also wondering what happened with Sydney and Gage, they seem to be avoiding each other." Walker said.

"Well, I did see Gage going to Sydney's room last night, then he left in a huff about thirty minutes later, I don't know what happened." Trivette said, Walker gave him the same worried look. He knew what he would have to do if they couldn't work out whatever issues had arisen between them, he would have to split them up assign them new partners.

"We'll deal with this later, right now, we have a job to do." Walker said as they dispersed.

* * *

"Walker, you copy?" Michaels said.

"Loud and clear, Agent Michaels." Walker's voice came over the frequency.

"Good, you and Gage are my eyes and ears on the front lines, if anything goes down, you know what to do." Michaels said.

"Rodger that, over and out." Walker said, never removing his eyes from his binoculars as he spoke to Michaels over his earpiece.

"Okay Michaels said as she took off her ear piece and wire gear and gave it to Sydney.

"What's this?" She asked as she gave the older woman a peculiar look.

"I have to head up this operation, but we need eyes and ears, and I can't do both, so you're going to be my bird in the air, watching all of our backs." Michaels said, when Sydney still didn't seem like she understood the method behind her madness, Michaels put a hand on Sydney's shoulder.

"Look, I've been there, I know how it feels to want to be out there, but you can't. So, this is the next best thing, this way, you can be part of it." She said with a smile as she exited the van.

Once she was alone, Sydney concentrated on the monitor and retreated into her thoughts, and her thoughts fell on the fight that she and Gage had, a new wave of pain washed over as his words echoed around her mind. It wasn't just his words, it was the look he gave her when he had said them, it was so cold so … _unfeeling_ that she felt like she had been stabbed through the heart with an icicle.

"Ranger Cooke!" A voice hissed into her ear, making her jump and bringing her crashing back to reality.

"Yes, Agent Michaels, I read you loud and clear." Sydney said into her headpiece.

From their perch on one of the shipping containers, Gage's heart leapt at the sound of her voice coming into his ear by way of his ear piece.

"Okay, its O zero hundred hours, my sources say the jig's due to go down so keep your eyes peeled!" Michaels said, her voice had an urgent edge to it, Sydney knew she wanted these guys real bad, hell, Sydney did too, their boss had shot her and she wanted the opportunity to face them.

Suddenly, she saw movement on the screen to her far left, the one covering the docks.

"Head's up, something's going down on the docks, a boat is pulling up, it might be them." She said as the boat pulled up to the docks and six men got out.

"Walker, they're coming your way." Sydney's voice said into their ear.

"Rodger that." Walker said as he and Gage drew their weapons and watched for a visual.

The men rounded the corner and they made their move, the poor henchmen didn't know what hit them as the two rangers took them out with a few well-placed kicks and punches.

Suddenly, Sydney noticed there was one man missing, she frantically searched the monitors and didn't see him, and then, she heard hurried, scurrying footsteps going around their van, echoing off the surrounding shipping containers.

Sydney scooted to the back and flung open one of the van's back doors, there was a grunt and a thud as the man hit the door so hard, she was surprised he didn't break the glass. She leapt out, ready for a fight, only to find the man knocked clean out, she flipped him onto his stomach and cuffed him, just as the others walked up with the five other men in custody.

* * *

Ranger Walker, company B, I can't thank you enough. Agent Michaels said as she shook all of their hands.

"It was our pleasure." Bruscoe said as he shook her hand, Walker couldn't help but chuckle at the eagerness of his superior.

"Well, in that case, I hope we can do it again soon, then." She said with a flirtatious wink at Bruscoe as she walked out the door. Bruscoe let out a low whistle once she was out of ear shot.

"Now that is one fine woman." He said as they all laughed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Hey, I know my rights, I already said that I want a lawyer, and I ain't saying anything until he gets here." One of the men said as Walker and Trivette walked in.

"Okay, you don't have to talk, we'll talk." Walker said as he and Trivette sat down across from him.

"I'm telling you, that was one huge shipment of pure Columbian powder, what'd you say that's worth, a couple million?" Trivette said as he looked at Walker.

"More, maybe closer to ten million, boy, if I was the owner of that shipment, I would be madder than hell." Walker replied.

"Yep, I would want nothing more than to get my hands on the person who let that huge of a shipment get into the hands of the cops." Trivette said.

"There would be no where they could hide." Walker replied.

The suspect gulped, the rangers could tell he knew what was waiting for him in prison without the state's protection.

"You're facing federal drug charges and I can tell you that the feds aren't going to give a damn if you get shanked in prison or not. But if you help us nail your boss, we can protect you, and give you segregation." Walker said.

The man rubbed his hand over his face in exasperation, he knew he had no choice.

"You promise that you'll protect me." He said as the door to the interrogation room opened and the DA came in.

"You have our word." She said.

Walker's eyes never left the man's face as he pushed a pen and paper toward him.

* * *

Walker looked up to see Sydney standing in front of his desk, holding a sheet of target paper in her hand.

"I'm here to be reinstated to active duty; I've already passed my shooting exam." She said as she plopped the paper in front of him, it consisted of fifteen shots straight through the bullseye of the target.

"Okay, but you still have to be cleared by the doctor…" He began. "Already done." She said as she handed him a signed form, Walker sighed, there was no way he could argue with her. If the firing range instructor and the company B doctor said she was ready, then he had to defer to their expertise. He smiled at her as he handed her papers back to her.

"Okay, Sydney, but you don't have to prove anything to me, I know that you are a capable ranger, and a strong person." Walker said.

"I know, Sir, I was proving it to myself." She said with a smile, Walker nodded to her as he watched her grab some coffee from the pot and return to her desk. He watched Gage enter about five minutes after her and head for the coffee, he seemed to take a bit longer then was needed to prepare his cup and stood, took a few sips and looked anywhere but in his partner's direction.

Walker sighed and rubbed his face, he was going to give them by the end of the week to work it out, if they couldn't, then he would have no choice but to assign them new partners.

"Hey." Gage said as he sat at his desk across from her, he glanced up at her, she acted like she hadn't even heard him.

"Is this how it's going to be? Two grown adults acting like kids?" He said, his temper starting to flare again, it seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.

Sydney slammed her pen down on the form she was writing on and looked him dead straight in the eye, coldness her dark eyes harbored chilled his very soul.

"I am not saying anything because there _is_ nothing more to say, I think you made everything _crystal clear_ the other night." She spat at him.

Gage slammed his fists down on his desk as his temper took his tongue hostage once more.

"FINE! If that's the way you want it, I'm done! I'm _done_ working with you!" He bellowed, as he jerked to his feet, upsetting his chair in the process, not caring that all of company B was now silently staring at both of them.

"That's just fine with me, because I was about to tell _you_ the same thing!" She retorted as she stood as well, her dark eyes ablaze as her own temper flared.

"That's ENOUGH, you two!" a commanding voice rose over all the commotion, Gage and Sydney both turned, still seething to see Walker striding towards them, his face set and his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Look … I don't know what happened between the two of you, but it's obvious that you aren't going to be able to work together, at least for now, so I am going to assign both of you a new partner. Now SIT while I make a few phone calls." Walker said, both Gage and Sydney did as they were told, both refusing to look in the other's direction.

As Walker returned to his desk, he noticed the large audience the scene had attracted.

"Don't you all have something _better_ you could be doing?!" He barked to the room, everyone quickly busied themselves with more productive tasks, even Walker's brother officers had a healthy respect for him that bordered on fear.

Even Bruscoe knew better than to give Walker an order, he knew that Walker was the better ranger and it should be him heading up Company B, but Walker had turned down the position, saying that he could do more good in the trenches than he could from behind a desk.

* * *

"Sir, you wanted to see me …" Sydney trailed off, shocked into silence as Barker stood from his seat in front of Walker's desk.

"Yes, Sydney, meet your new partner, Ranger Barker. I think you two know each other" Walker said.

"I … don't understand …" Sydney trailed off.

"Ranger Barker heard you would be in need of a new partner, so he applied for the position." Walker explained. Sydney looked to Barker; she was at a loss for words.

Barker shrugged sheepishly. "I was in the mood for a change in scenery, this was the perfect opportunity. Sure San Antonio's great, but there isn't enough action there for me." He said.

Judging by the look he was giving her, Sydney had a suspicion there was an ulterior motive to his decision, and she would have to set him straight right out of the gate.

"Okay then, I will leave you two to get reacquainted." Walker said as he left their company to refill his coffee cup.

"What in the hell are you doing?" Sydney hissed at him.

"I think you misunderstand my intentions, Ranger Cooke." Barker said as he flashed her a dazzling smile.

Sydney felt a traitorous blush rising to her cheeks as she spoke. "Oh, I think I understand your intentions _quite_ well." She said as she quirked an eyebrow and waggled her finger at him.

Barker chuckled as he held his hands up in front of him in a defensive pose. "Fine, guilty as charged." He said.

"Look, not that it's any of your business, but I am going through a lot of personal stuff right now, so I really can't handle any more baggage …"

"Fine, fine. We'll be partners and friends, nothing more, I _promise_. Scout's honor." He said as he held up his hand.

"Were you even _in_ the Scouts?" Sydney asked, her eyes narrowing at him.

"Sure was, made it all the way to first class." He said with a grin, Sydney laughed in spite of herself.

* * *

Walker was talking, and Gage knew he should be listening, he was introducing Gage's new partner, a man who looked just a little older than himself. He was tall and lean with light sandy blonde hair. He carried himself like he knew some form of martial arts.

"Gage, I want you to meet Trent Malloy. Trent, this is Ranger Francis Gage." Walker said as Trent stepped forward and offered his hand.

"It's a pleasure to be working with you, Francis." Trent said, his attitude seemed genuine.

"Nice to meet you, everyone calls me Gage." Gage said, making a valiant effort to be cordial and failing miserably.

If Trent noticed his surly attitude, he was either really good at hiding it, or it just didn't bother him. Gage had a feeling it was the latter.

Then his eyes fell on the Sydney and Barker getting very … _chummy_ at the desks that _used_ to be theirs and a wave of nausea washed over him. Trent was talking, something about martial arts, but Gage wasn't listening.

"I need some air." He said abruptly as he stormed out without another word or look at anyone.

"You weren't kidding when you told me he was a tough one to crack, were you, Walker?" Trent said with a chuckle.

"If you're not up to it, Trent, I'll understand. Gage went through his fair share of partners before Sydney." Walker replied.

"What happened with them? They sounded like a pretty good team by the way you talk." Trent said.

"They were, that is until …" Walker trailed off.

"Until what?" Trent asked.

"Well … I'm not really sure and anything I say would be hearsay, besides, it's not my place to talk about it anyway." Walker said.

"Okay, then let the fun begin." Trent said with a chuckle as he saw Gage return, looking every bit as sour as he did when he left.

 _AN: Wow! When I first posted this story, I never thought it would get this much traffic! I will really try to post as many updates as I can, thanks to all who PM'd, reviewed and followed it! And yes, I decided to bring on Trent because I really liked him as a character and I think he is what Gage needs right now._


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

A few weeks had passed since Walker had split she and Gage up and assigned them new partners, and as far as Sydney was concerned, things were going fairly well, all things considered. She and Barker had become fast friends, and if Barker still carried a torch for her, he was very good at hiding it.

Likewise, Gage and Malloy seemed to be hitting it off quite well. A smile crossed Sydney's face, she was happy for him that he had found someone he got along with.

Despite everything that happened between them, she still had feelings for him, no matter how many times she told herself that she should hate him for what he had put her through, her heart just wouldn't listen.

"Syd, why don't you just make up with him and get it over with?" Barker's voice brought her back to reality.

Sydney blushed. "Was I being that obvious?" She said.

"A little." Barker said with a benevolent smile.

Sydney knew he was sparing her any embarrassment, she knew she had been staring at him for the last thirty minutes like a high school girl with a crush.

Inside, Barker's feelings were conflicted. His heart ached for Sydney; the heartache she was carrying was palpable. He knew who her heart belonged to and part of him hated Gage for it.

' _I hope you realize how lucky you are before it's too late, Gage.'_ Barker thought as he and Gage locked eyes.

"You got something to say to me, Barker?" Gage called from his desk.

"Nothing you don't already know." Barker replied as he sat back in his chair.

"And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Gage said as he stood and advanced on Barker.

"Gage!" Walker's voice called, Gage took a steadying breath before turning to face his superior.

"If you have something to settle, save it for the gym! There's no fighting in here!" Walker said. Gage and Barker stared each other down.

"seventeen hundred hours … _be there_!" Gage said as he pointed at Barker.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Barker said with an almost hungry grin.

* * *

"I thought for a minute you chickened out." Gage said as Barker walked into the gym, his hands wrapped and his face set.

"Not on your life, I had to finish up some paperwork with that pretty partner of yours … Oh … I'm sorry … _former_ partner." He said with a smirk.

With a roar, Gage tackled Barker hard, knocking the breath out of him.

"I swear to god, if you _touch_ her, you're going to regret it!" He snarled, seeing red as he slammed him into the mat.

"Well. As much as I'd love to, she's still so hung up on _you_ that there's no room in her heart for anyone else." Barker said as he threw Gage off him, stood, assumed a fighting stance and beckoned Gage to give it his best shot.

"What do you mean no room for anyone else?" Gage asked as they exchanged blows and kicks, each man landing a good his that threw the other back on their heels.

"Jesus, Gage! For someone who's so good at attracting women, you're painfully clueless about them. That woman loves you more than you deserve, especially since you have been a giant ass to her."

Gage opened his mouth to retort but there was nothing he could say, Barker was right, he had royally screwed everything up and had no idea how to fix it, if he even _could_ fix it.

"Do you think it's too late?" Gage asked, Barker smirked as he took Gage's legs out from under him.

"Not if you play your cards right." He said as he helped him up. Look, regardless of what you might think of me, I really do want to see you two work this out, you two make a cute couple." He said with a grin as he clapped Gage heartily on the back.

* * *

Gage waited all week for an opportunity to talk to Sydney alone and attempt an apology, but it was like the universe was conspiring against them.

To make things worse, Sydney didn't even seem to _miss_ their partnership, or if she did, she was really good at hiding it. He was so engrossed in his thoughts, that he barely noticed Walker walking up to them.

He handed them a file.

"Meet Leonidas Antunez, leader of the Dracul's." he's been out of the country on business in Columbia for the past month, and he's due back in town tonight. I want you two to stake out his home. _Don't_ move on this guy without backup, I can't stress that enough." Walker said.

"You can count on us, boss." Gage said.

* * *

"Anything?" Gage asked Trent

"Nope." Trent said as he rubbed his eyes wearily.

"Here, take a break, I'll keep watch for a while." Gage said as he motioned for him to hand him the binoculars.

Trent gave him an appreciative grin as he settled back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest them.

It was well into the night when they saw a car, a Benz by the looks of it, pull into the circular driveway. A man climbed out and strode into the house accompanied by four henchmen.

"You call for backup, I'm going in." Gage said as he checked the clip on his weapon and exited the car before Trent could stop him.

"Damn it!" Trent said as he got on the radio.

"Dispatch, get me Cordell Walker!"

Gage crept up to the house, careful to watch his blind spots as he peered into the windows. He knew he should wait for backup, but his desire to see the asshole who shot Sydney and almost killed her fry for it one way or another.

He waited until the guards doing their rounds circled around to the back of the house before sneaking through the back door. He crept through the darkened maze like mansion, his adrenaline pumping through him like hot lava.

Suddenly, white hot pain exploded through his right shoulder, he spun and tried to aim but his injured shoulder made his shots go wide.

"Well, well, isn't this a familiar sight." A rich Latino voice purred as the tall, slender man they had seen before sauntered into view, taking slow, deliberate steps.

"Leonidas Antunez, you're under arrest for the attempted murder of a Texas ranger, among other things." Gage said as he switched his gun to his good hand and aimed it.

Leonidas' deep, robust laughter echoed throughout the expansive mansion.

"Ah yes, Ranger … Cooke, was it? You know my man was aiming at _you_ , but she got in the way, oh well, I have you now, I guess things have a way of working themselves out." Leonidas said.

"You son of a bitch, I'll kill you!" Gage said, seething as he pointed his gun at Leonidas came forward with surprising quickness and before Gage could react, his gun, equipped with a silencer was pressed against his forehead.

"I don't want to kill you, Ranger Gage, but I _will_ if you make me, now drop it."

There was a tense standoff until Gage let his weapon fall to the ground.

"Now sit." Leonidas said as he motioned to one of the large squashy armchairs sitting in front of a huge fireplace that was as tall as they were and twice as wide. Gage hesitated defiantly, Leonidas suddenly struck him across the face with the butt of his gun with enough force to knock Gage off his feet. He hit the ground, sputtering and coughing up blood.

"Now SIT!" He said as he took out his phone and dialed it.

Walker picked his phone up on the first ring.

"Walker."

"The famous Ranger Cordell Walker, I bet you think you've beaten me, but little do you know that I play my best chess when I am cornered." Leonidas smooth voice said over the line as Trivette, Sydney and Barker gathered around.

"What do you want, Antunez?" Walker said.

"You're mistaken, Ranger Walker, for it is I who has something _you_ want."

The other rangers watched Walker's expression change and knew something was wrong.

"Walker, what's wrong?" Trivette asked as Walker set the phone down.

"Antunez has Gage, and he says he's hurt, and if we don't give him his drugs and let him escape, he'll kill him." Walker said.

 _AN: Please bear with me, m'kay? ^_^_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Police cars lined the street in front of the huge mansion, their lights strobing eerily into the moonless night. Walker, Trent, and Barker stood, leaning on the hood of his truck while Sydney paced anxiously behind them.

"Walker, it's Antunez, says he'll only talk to you." One of the detectives said as he handed him a cell phone.

"Ranger Walker! So nice to finally put a voice to the face I have seen all over the news, and the local papers." Antunez' smooth voice floated through the speaker like a deadly poisonous gas.

"Why don't we slip the pleasantries and get right down to what you want." Walker said, wording his sentence as a statement, rather than a question as Sydney stopped pacing to listen with bated breath.

"You know what I want, Walker. I want my freedom and the shipment of drugs you took from me." Antunez said.

"Ain't never going to happen, Antunez." Walker heard the FBI negotiator say over the frequency. Walker motioned angrily for him to be quiet as Antunez spoke.

"Oh, I think you _will_ make it happen, Walker; if you ever want to see your young Ranger … alive that is, you will make it happen. Oh … and tell your FBI friend to turn on that laptop of his." Antunez said as he cut their connection.

Walker stared at the phone, the silence it emitted was deafening and his hands balled into fists as he struggled to suppress the overwhelming urge to smash it into a million useless pieces.

"Walker … what's happening?" Sydney said her eyes searching his face for any information.

"Agent Donaldson!" Walker barked as he pushed passed them.

"Antunez said to turn on that fancy laptop you have in that van of yours." He said as he, Sydney, Barker, Trivette, and Trent followed him inside.

There was a brief standoff between Walker, and Donaldson, who was under the illusion that he was running this shindig, before he complied and turned on the surveillance equipment.

Sydney gasped and covered her mouth as tears stung her eyes. "Gage!" She said, her voice sounding uncharacteristically small and frightened.

Gage was tied to a large, squashy arm chair, his eyes fluttered and his head lobbed to and fro against his chest, and his face was pasty, the face of someone who had lost too much blood. Walker could see a large blood stain on his shirt, he knew that if he didn't get help soon, he would bleed to death. He was amazed at his long he had lasted.

The cell phone Walker was holding suddenly rang and he answered it as Antunez came into view of the camera.

"See what I have, Walker?" Antunez said as he pulled Gage's head up by his hair.

"He doesn't look so good, no? I don't think he has much time left. You have until sunrise to get me what I want, or you will watch your young ranger die." He said as he held his dessert eagle to Gage's temple and clicked the safety off.

"Until sunrise, Ranger Walker." He said as he suddenly pulled the trigger.

"NO!" Sydney screamed frantically before she could stop herself, and her breath caught in her throat as a choking sob as the hammer of the empty gun clicked hollowly through the laptop's speakers. She grabbed the phone from Walker's hand.

"You son of a bitch! If anything happens to him, I swear to god I am going to make you pay!" She yelled at the computer screen, tears beginning to stream down her face.

Antunez's sharp laughter stung her like a nest of angry hornets as he cut the connection, Sydney turned her back one everyone as she tried to get a grip on her emotions. This wasn't her; she was the cool and collected one, the one who always kept her head. She had to get a grip on herself, Gage's life depended on it.

Walker turned to Donaldson.

"You're going to get that shipment of drugs here, I have a plan." He said.

* * *

"Walker, it's almost dawn … where the hell it!" Sydney demanded as she paced back and forth.

"Sydney! I know how you feel, believe me, I do. But hysterics is not what Gage needs right now, you need to pull yourself together and be a calm, calculated cop. _That's_ what he needs." Walker said as he put his hands on her shoulders and forced her to meet his eyes.

Sydney took a steadying breath and nodded at him. Walker's eyes held such assurance, such wisdom that people couldn't help but trust him. Suddenly, the surveillance van's doors opened and Donaldson stuck his head inside.

"It's here." He said.

Walker nodded as he hit redial on the phone.

"Ah, Ranger Walker! I see my delivery has arrived, now listen very closely. One of you is going to drive the van through the gate; pull the truck up to the front of the house. And I warn you, Walker, if you or any of your officer friends try anything _funny_ and your young ranger will suffer for it." He said as he cut the connection.

"I'll drive the van in. Let me do this, Walker. I have to do this, I can't just sit around on my hands and wait for something to happen." Sydney said, her face full of a newfound, steely resolve. Walker sighed, he knew that he wouldn't change her mind.

"Agent Donaldson, just how much vantage does Antunez have?" Walker asked.

"He has security cameras all around his home, but I don't know his much of a vantage point he has." Donaldson replied with a weary sigh.

"Well, then I guess we're going to have to take a chance on this, now let's hurry before we lose the cover of darkness." Walker said as he crept to the back of the van.

"Ready?" He asked Sydney, who nodded.

"Let's go." He said as he slipped into the back.

Sydney pulled up to the massive double iron gates and they slowly opened for her. The vast mansion seemed to loom in front of her as though it has its own life force, every bit as sinister as its owner.

Antunez strode out, his dessert eagle in hand.

"Ah! The lady ranger! I was hoping they would send you." He said as his eyes flashed with sinister excitement.

"Be careful what you wish for." Sydney said as she faced him, her dark eyes burning with hatred.

Antunez moved so fast that her head spun, in an instant he was inches from her face, he grabbed a fistful of her hair as a smile of pure evil spread across his face.

"You handle yourself like a man, but I wonder if you can fight like one?" He said as he pressed his nose against her hair and inhaled deeply of her scent.

"She might not, but I do." Antunez turned just in time to have his face met with a powerful front kick from Walker, he stumbled back, his gun falling to the ground.

" _Walker_!" He growled as he pointed his dessert eagle at Walker. Sydney didn't hesitate, she put two shots into Antunez and he fell where he stood, dead before he hit the ground.

Walker's ears picked up the distant sound of a helicopter, he knew that must be the medivac chopper, he looked around for Sydney, but she was nowhere to be found.

He cursed under his breath as he drew his gun and bolted into the mansion as he heard the SWAT team breaching the front gate.

Sydney didn't know how she knew which way to turn in the massive, maze like mansion, it was like her intuition was _pulling_ her, she stumbled through two large wooden doors and her breath caught in her throat.

"Gage!" She said as she ran to him.

"S-Syd?" He said as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

"Don't Worry, Gage, it's over." She said as the SWAT team filed in, led by Walker, followed by a slew of police from all jurisdictions. As soon as the area was declared clear, the paramedics were called in.

* * *

Sydney sat next to Gage in the medevac chopper, holding his limp hand.

"S-Syd?" He said, his voice barely audible over the drone of the chopper engines.

"Shhh, rest, don't try to talk." She said as she gently stroked his hair back from his forehead.

"No … I want to, in case I don't …. Make it. Syd, I'm sorry … for everything." He said as the last of his strength finally left him and he slipped into unconsciousness as the scream of the heart monitor flat lining filled the small space of the chopper.

One of the paramedics rushed back and began attempting to resuscitate him.

"We're losing him!" He yelled to his partner.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"We're touching down now!" his partner yelled back to him as he got onto his radio to let the hospital know they had a code blue coming in.

The next sequence of events happened so fast that Sydney barely had time to process them; a team of surgeons meeting the chopper, they wheeled Gage into the hospital and through the surgery room doors, where she had been barred from entering and told where the waiting room was.

Sydney heard her name being called to see Walker, Trivette, Barker, Trent and Alex running to meet her.

He was unresponsive when they brought him in … I don't know if …" Sydney trailed off as she sank into one of the chairs, in too much shock to even cry.

Alex sat beside the young ranger and pulled her into a hug, Sydney was so emotionally numb that she barely felt her embrace. Alex wished she could tell her that everything would be okay, that he would pull through, but she couldn't. She gave a pained, worried look to Walker as he sat down next to her.

"Alex, I said some horrible things to him, I've been a terrible friend and partner, and now he's here because of me." Sydney said emotionlessly as she hugged herself, Alex squeezed her shoulders comfortingly.

"Sydney, don't do this to yourself, that isn't true." Walker said.

"Yes it is, he was hell bent on getting this jerk because of what he did to me, he was trying to make amends with me through collaring Antunez, if we had never had a disagreement I would have been with him and …"

"And … you might have been captured too, or worse. Look, this kind of thinking is not going to help you … or Gage. The best we can do is hope … and pray." Walker said as he put his hand over hers.

* * *

It seemed like an eternity before the surgeon came out to talk to them, he looked positively exhausted.

"How is he?" Alex asked as they all stood.

"Well, he needed two blood transfusions upon arrival, he was so critical that all we could do was remove the bullet and repair the immediate damage for now, if he pulls through, he will need another surgery."

"What do you mean … _if_?" Trivette said.

"Like I said, Rangers, he was in very bad shape when he came in." The doctor said.

"Can we see him?" Sydney asked abruptly.

"Better say yes, Doc, she's just going to anyway." Walker said with a smile, the Doctor chuckled as he motioned for a nurse to show them to Gage's room.

"Hey, you." She said as she sat in the chair the nurse had provided at the side of the bed.

"Don't expect much in way of response, he could be out for quite some time." The Doctor said as he and the nurse left them.

"Gage, I'm so sorry, if I hadn't been such a giant jerk to you, this might have never happened. I miss you, I miss being your partner and your friend, but … I know I really cut you deeply with how I acted, and if you never want to see me again, I'll understand." She said as she gently ran her hands through his hair.

"Are you kidding? I was the jerk." He replied, his voice barely audible as he turned to grin at her.

"Gage?! Oh, thank god! If you ever do something like this without me again, I am going to kick your ass, and you _know_ I can." She said a she put her fists up in a defensive fighting stance.

Gage chuckled painfully. "Is this you saying that you want to be my partner again?"

"Yes, unless you have decided you like Trent better, I did see that the two of you getting along pretty well." She replied.

"No way, Trent is cool and all … but … he … doesn't look as good in a cocktail dress as you do." Gage said as he winked suggestively at her.

"You're lucky you're so injured, or else I would sock you." She said as she brandished her fist at him.

Gage chuckled painfully. "You _will_ kill me if you keep making me laugh." He said as Walker and the others walked in.

"Hey, boss." Gage said as he shook Walker's hand.

"Glad to see you back again, Gage, just don't ever disobey an order like that again, okay?" Walker said, his tone was firm, but he smiled benevolently at the junior ranger.

"Sure thing, boss." Gage said with a chuckle.

* * *

"Ranger Gage, I have to say that in all my years of practicing medicine, I have not seen anyone who has healed as fast and as completely as you have, and I am pleased to inform you that you no longer need a second surgery. In fact, you are doing so well that by the end of the week you will be able to go home, provided that you take it easy for at least a month, then we will see where you are then and if you can return to active duty." The doctor said.

"Thanks for everything, Doc, but I would rather go home today if that's okay. I know I will rest better there." Gage said

"Well, I do advice against it, but there is nothing I can do to stop you. I will leave you to get dressed, the nurse will be in shortly with the forms you will need to sign." The doctor said.

Five minutes later, Gage heard a soft knock at the door. "Come in." He said.

"Here is everything you need to sign, Ranger Gage." The nurse said, Gage couldn't help but catch a twinge of disappointment to her voice.

"I'm going to miss you, we all are." She said as she smiled shyly at him.

"Is that right? I had no idea that I could make such a lasting impression, given the fact that I was unconscious for half my time here." He said as he flashed her a charming smile.

"Oh, you did, but I know you're hung up on someone else." The nurse replied.

"What makes you say that?" Gage said, he tried to remain nonchalant, but he wasn't sure if he accomplished it or not.

"Oh, yes, that pretty lady ranger. She came to see you every day, and she stayed until visiting hours were over and we had to chase her out. She really cares about you, and I can tell that you really care about her, especially since it was her name you called out in your sleep." She said with a wry smile.

Gage shrugged wordlessly at her as he grinned sheepishly, he was busted, what could he say? She was right.

"Ranger Gage, I know this isn't of my business and forgive me, but take it from another woman, when I say that women like her don't come along every day." She said as she took the forms from him and excused herself.

* * *

Gage put down his things and collapsed on his couch with a satisfied sigh as he reached for the remote.

"Ah … _finally_ something besides basic cable!" He said to himself as he turned on ESPN and was pleasantly surprised to find they were showing MMA. He made his way to the kitchen to make some popcorn when he heard a knock at the door.

"Syd … !" He trailed off as they stood there, staring awkwardly at each other for what seemed like a fortnight.

"Um … I went to the hospital to see you and they said you had left, so I … came to see how you were doing, and I brought you something." She said as she handed him a large Tupperware container.

Gage opened it and inhaled deeply. "Beef stew, one of my favorites." He said as he smiled at her.

"Oh it's the Mendez / McGregor fight!" Sydney said as she glanced at the television.

"I saw that on pay per view, it was a good fight." She said.

"Care to watch it with me? I have popcorn." He said as he gestured to the couch.

She smiled at him. "I'd love to."

 _AN: Wow … sorry … I would have had these uploaded last night, but the website was giving me a database error. Hope this ending makes up for it, of course, this is NOT the end ^_^_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 _AN: I warn in advance, this chapter might have a good amount of fluff in it, I think Sydney and Gage deserve that after what they have been through, LOL._

Gage's eyes snapped open, he rubbed his face and looked at the TV to see his satellite provider's logo bouncing its way across the screen and he cursed to himself, he had fallen asleep sometime after the fight started, good thing he had thought to set his DVR.

He suddenly noticed that the left side of his body was tingling and going numb, Sydney had fallen asleep as well, and she was snuggled against him, her head on his chest and her arm draped across his middle.

A warmth flooded his body and the room suddenly felt hot, it wasn't simply lust … it was something more. He glanced down at her, she looked like an angel when she slept, just like he had a feeling she would.

He shifted his own body so that he could wrap his arms around her and draw her in closer; he rested his head on top of hers and deeply inhaled the scent of her hair and soon drifted off to sleep once more, a contented smile upon his face.

* * *

Sydney stirred and tried to stretch, but something was inhibiting her … or rather, _someone_. She looked down to find herself enveloped by a strong, comforting embrace. She felt her face flush as she realized that she must have fallen asleep against him last night without realizing it.

She felt him stir and she immediately started to pull away, his strong arms pulled her back to him.

"Where to you think you're going?" He asked, his voice had the husky undertone of someone who had just woken up, she didn't have to even look at him to know he had a shit eating grin on his face.

"Look … I'm sorry … I didn't mean to…" She started apologizing as she sat up, just as he did, too. He smiled softly at her as he cupped her face with his hands.

"Do you remember when you said that if you kissed me for real I would know it?" He said, his voice barely above a whisper as his thumbs traced her jawline.

"Yes, but …"

"Then why don't you let me see if I can _tell_ the difference." He said, his face spreading into a large grin, he knew she could never turn down a challenge.

Sure enough, her face lit up and a smirk crossed her face. She took hold of the front of Gage's shirt and pulled him into a kiss.

Gage swore he saw fireworks and the temperature in the room seemed to go up about twenty degrees. Then, just as soon as it started, she broke it off.

"Now _that_ … was for _real_." She said with a wink as she draped her arms around his neck.

"Then why did you stop?" He growled as he kissed her this time and that was all it took, the embers they held for one another ignited again, and this time neither of them backed away from the flames that ensued. Instead they embraced it.

Sydney let Gage push her back against the couch and he shrugged out of his shirt as she pulled hers over her head, both craving the feeling of bare skin against bare skin. He kissed the newly exposed skin on her neck and shoulders as they both wiggled out of their jeans.

Gage grinned wolfishly as he drunk in the sight of her matching lacy satin bra and a racy string thong.

"Naughty girl." He said, grinning as he hooked his thumbs through the waist string, just as he prepared to slip them off, both of their phones rang.

"Shit!" They both said in unison as they reached for them.

* * *

"There you two are! What took you two so long! If I didn't know better …"

"Knock it off, Trivette. What do we got?" Gage said, giving Trivette a bit of a dirty look, Sydney's cheeks reddened as she ran her hand uncomfortably through her long dark hair and prayed that the concealer she had put on was enough to hide the hickeys she knew she had. Gage on the other hand, had a slew of fantasies running through his head, presently he was wondering what kind of … ensemble she might be wearing under her clothes.

Walker was talking, and he knew he should be listening, but he was distracted for an entirely different set of reasons now, and the sexual tension between him and Sydney was suffocating.

"Okay, boss, we'll get on it." She said as she motioned for Gage to follow her.

"Get on what?" Gage asked one they had entered the elevator.

"Geeze, Gage, did you hear _anything_ Walker said to us?!" Sydney said in exasperation, Gage smiled devilishly as he stepped close to her.

"No, thanks to you, I only have _one_ thing on my mind lately." He said as he captured her lips with his.

Sydney's logical side knew that they should at least attempt to uphold a professional façade at work, but the sexual tension that hung in the air between them was too strong to ignore.

"Not my neck, Gage! I just put concealer on and I don't have any with me!" She said as she redirected his mouth back on hers. His fumbling fingers found the stall button on the elevator as he pushed her up against the wall.

"W-what are you – you doing?" She said between shuddering gasps, amazed that she could even form words at this point.

"I'm sorry I … just need a minute." He hissed into her ear as his mouth found hers again; his hands ran down her side and gripped her upper thighs, bring her legs up around his waist, she could feel the manifestation of his desire as it pressed against her. Sydney's stomach did lazy flip flops as her skin buzzed and tingled, her clothes suddenly felt tight and too constricting.

"Okay." She said as she finally summoned what self-control she was still holding on to and wrenched herself away from him.

A look of hurt flashed in Gage's eyes and she took his hand in hers.

"Look, lord knows I want you as much as you do me, but I think we should at least try to maintain some form of professionalism at work." She said as she flashed him a coy grin. He laughed in spite of himself.

"Logically, I know you are right, but emotionally, physically It's hard, especially when you could be wearing … well what you were wearing last night under there." He said, his eyes scanning the length of her body as he ran his hand sheepishly through his short hair.

Sydney drew close to him. "What makes you so sure that I am wearing anything at all?" She purred seductively into his ear as she hit the button on the elevator and the doors opened, she smirked at him as she strode out, leaving him in a trance of his own desires.

"You play dirty, you know that?" He scolded her as he followed her to their car.

"Oh just you wait until we get a little time together, _then_ I'll show you how dirty I can _really_ be." She said with a wink as they drove away.

* * *

"I swear, these days there is always a new, dangerous drug out on the street." Sydney said as she read over the file.

"White buffalo, angels kiss, and now something called dragon's breath, supposed to be coming all the way from China." Gage replied, his eyes never leaving the binoculars.

"Let's see; there goes a coke exchange, heroin, marijuana. All the usual suspects." Gage said, recognizing all the regular dealers\, he had busted all of them at least once. "Wait a minute, now _there's_ someone I haven't seen before." Gage added as he sat forward in his seat.

"Let's go see what he's selling." Sydney said as they got out.

Careful to hide her star behind her jacket, Sydney approached the new kid on the block with a charming smile on her face. Every dealer's face lit up as they caught sight of her.

"Something I can help you with, missy?" one of them said as they elbowed one another.

"No thanks, boys, I'm lookin' for something fresh and new, a _real_ good time." She said with a flirtatious wink.

"Then I might have what you're looking for, little lady." A tall, slim man that looked to be a little older than Sydney said as he sauntered up to her.

"Is that right?" She said, craning her heck in order to look him in the eyes.

"Check this out." He said as he tossed her a small pouch, she opened it to see a small handful of fiery red pills.

"Oh yes, I think these will do nicely." She said, her expression hardening as she flashed her star.

"RANGER!" One of the dealers bellowed as they all scattered like roaches when the kitchen light is turned on. The dragons breath dealer took a swing at Sydney and she dodged it and grabbed his arm, twisted it behind him and put him down with a swift kick to the face as Gage ran up to her.

"So nice of you to join the party." She said as she glared at him.

"What? It looks like you had a handle on things." He said with a grin as he hauled the semi-conscious dealer to his feet.

"This is police brutality! You're gonna be sorry!" He slurred as they pulled him to their car.

"No, it's assault on an officer, and _you're_ the one who's sorry." Sydney said as they shoved him in the back.

 _AN: Now, I know the endings to these chapters seem abrupt, but think of them like commercial breaks, like the actual show would have._


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Like I said, I ain't saying anything without a lawyer!" The dealer said as he crossed his arms in front of him.

"See, now, that's too bad. Because we don't care about a petty little distribution charge, and neither does the ADA." Gage said.

"He's right; do you really think that the Texas Rangers would waste their valuable time busting a bottom feeder like you on a petty drug charge?" Sydney added as she circled him like a tigress.

"So… what do you want from me?" The dealer asked as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat under Sydney's scrutinizing gaze.

Gage was amazed at how someone so petite, so gorgeous, so feminine could have the presence to make a hardened street dealer uncomfortable … but she could, and she did.

"We want to know who your supplier is." She said as she sat on the edge of the table.

"That's risky information, Ranger babe, a guy could get killed for it." He said with a smirk.

With all the quickness of a cat, Sydney gripped the man behind the neck and slammed his head down on the table with a deafening bang that echoed around the entire room.

"Not as dangerous as withholding information from the Texas Rangers. How long do you think you'll last in prison once they learn you're a rat?" She hissed at him dangerously.

"You wouldn't!" he said as he pushed back against her, throwing her hand off his neck, his head was promptly slammed down onto the table again, this time by the stronger hands of Gage.

"Yes …. We would, now tell us!" He said as he squeezed the dealer's neck.

"Okay! okay!" He sputtered under Gage's crushing grip, Gage grinned at Sydney as he released the man and they both looked at him expectantly.

"Okay, according to our friend in there, the supplier is a man by the name of Joseph McNabb, but that's all this weasel knows." Gage told Walker and Trivette.

"You have the warehouse address, let's go and pick him up, and let's make a show of it." Walker said.

* * *

"Joseph McNabb! This is the Texas Rangers! Come out with your hands up!" Walker said through a bullhorn at the seemingly empty warehouse.

McNabb cursed under his breath, he had no other choice, not even he was dumb enough to try and take on fifty armed police, he motioned for his henchmen and they all walked out with their hands up.

"Son of a bitch! There's enough of this here to make half the addicts in Dallas high." Gage said as the CSU team uncovered crate after crate of the fiery pills.

* * *

"What have you got?" Walker asked Sydney and Gage as they returned from the forensics.

"See for yourself." Gage said as he handed Walker the test results on the new drug.

"Damn." Trivette said as he read it over Walker's shoulder.

"Damn is right, Trivette, we have to get the people bringing this crap into the city, before people start showing up dead." Walker said as Trivette's phone rang.

His face became grave as he listened to the person on the other line.

"Too late." He said.

* * *

"Doc." Gage nodded to the medical examiner, who smiled at him flirtatiously. Doctor Babbs Delany was a sophisticated beauty, like a hot librarian or professor that a guy knew he never had a chance with in a million years, but still had wet dreams about at night.

"Ranger Gage! Ranger Cooke." Doctor Delany said, her enthusiasm dropping a fraction as she addressed Sydney, whose demeanor was equally chilly.

"Uh … you said that a body was found?" Gage said, trying to break the overwhelming tension in the room.

"Yes, and you won't believe the tox screen, even I didn't believe it when I first read it, so I ran the results three times and came back with this." She said as she handed him the chart.

"And all this is from dragons kiss?" Sydney said, astonished, Doctor Delany nodded.

"This composition is different than the stuff we found at the warehouse bust." Gage said thoughtfully.

"That's a common thing with street drugs, no regulations means they can put whatever the hell they want in them. This batch had amphetamines, gamma butyrolactone, otherwise known as GBL and Khat plant extract. Did this guy have alcohol in his system, by any chance?" Sydney asked Doctor Delany.

"Why, yes, he did."

"Then that's why he died, GBL can cause fatality when mixed with alcohol." Sydney said, Doctor Delany, as well as Gage looked at her with surprised and impressed expressions.

"Hey, you're not the only one who knows chemistry; I minored in chemistry in college." She said with a hint of pride.

"A minor in chemistry, that's cute." Doctor Delany said and the tension went up in the room again as the two women stared each other down.

"Ooookay, thank you Doc, we'll be in touch." Gage said as he ushered Sydney out the door toward the elevator before things got ... interesting between the two women.

"Don't be a stranger, Ranger Gage." Doctor Delany called sweetly as they left.

"You mind telling me what the hell that was?" Gage asked as she shrugged him off in the hallway in route to the elevator.

"She was coming on to you!" Sydney said as she jammed the button with her finger.

"So what if she was!" Gage said, Sydney opened her mouth to speak, but turned her back on him instead, she was starting to regret the decision to keep their relationship a secret.

"Look, Syd, Doc she's… I'll be honest, she is every man's fantasy, like that professor you had hot dreams about back in school, but she isn't _you_." He said as he gripped her shoulders.

"Look, I know what you must think of guys … like me, I was a playboy, I know. I was stupid; I was searching for something when it was right in front of me for so long, I was just too blind to see it." Gage said as he stepped close to her and took her face in his hands and captured her lips with his.

Suddenly, the door to the elevator opened and they broke apart, but not before almost everyone in company B saw them.

"Well, I'll be." Walker said as an amused smile crossed his face.

"Finally!" Alex said as she crossed her arms with satisfaction.

"Alex, did you have anything to do with this?" Walker said as he gave his wife a playfully accusing look, he was well aware of his wife's penchant for playing matchmaker."

"I wish I could take credit, but it wasn't my doing this time, I swear." Alex said as she put her hands up in front of her defensively.

Walker chuckled amusingly to himself as he grinned at the two now very embarrassed junior rangers, so Gage had finally made his move, good for him.

"Uh …" Gage trailed off as he rubbed the back of his neck embarrassingly.

"Well, let's get this over with." Sydney said as she strode proudly out of the elevator.

* * *

"Yes, Gage and I are … I guess you would say we are taking it slow." Sydney said.

"I … didn't ask, did you ask, Trivette?" Walker said innocently as he looked to his partner.

"Nope, not me." Trivette replied without looking from his computer.

"Yeah, you two were 'not asking' loud and clear." Sydney said with a laugh as she returned to her desk.

Once she was out of earshot, Gage took this opportunity to talk to his superior.

"Look, boss. We were keeping this quiet because we didn't want any complications to arise with our jobs, we both worked really hard to get here, Sydney especially and I would hate for anything to mess up all she has worked for." Gage said, his look was one of concern, not for himself, but for Sydney.

Walker admired him for it, gone was the carefree playboy who had a different girl every week, some way, somehow, Sydney had gotten her hook in deep..

"Hey … as far as I am concerned, I think it's great, as long as your relationship outside of work doesn't affect your working relationship, its fine with me." Walker said, Gage's shoulders relaxed in relief.

"Thanks, boss." He said with a grin as he trotted back to his desk to help Sydney with the every growing stack of paperwork on the dragons breath case.

"That's so sweet, isn't it?" Alex said as she put her arm around Walker's waist.

"Yeah, even I have to admit, it is. I wish CD could be here to see this, you know he always talked about giving those two the push they needed." Walker said with a sad laugh.

"Me too, Walker, me too." Alex said as a sad, nostalgic smile crossed her face.

 _AN: I know two chapters in one day! don't get used to this, though because once I am off hiatus from school, this wont be as frequent. So I am trying to get as many finished in this story as possible. Also thanks for all the positive, shining reviews! I am glad so many of you like it, and I am glad I could write true to the characters! I always try really hard not to take characters out of character._


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"Another one?" Sydney said as she and Gage met Walker and Trivette at the crime scene.

"Geez, this poor girl doesn't look more than eighteen years old." Gage said as he knelt down next to the body.

"We have to get a lid on this stuff, quick before more people die." Trivette said as his expression hardened.

Walker turned to Gage. "I think it's time to call your friend in the DEA." He said as a smile crept its way across his face.

* * *

"Agent Michaels, so nice to see you again." Walker said as he shook the DEA agent's hand.

"Nice to see you again, Walker, and I'm sorry to give you bad news, but we are just as stumped as ya'll are." She said as she shrugged.

"Well, if my memory serves me right, the last time we joined forces, we caught our man." Walker said.

Michaels grinned at him. "Well, okay then. Let's put our department's heads together and see if we can't collar this mutt?"

Walker smiled cordially at her. "Sounds good, we'll take any help we can get. Gage and Sydney will get you caught up."

Agent Michaels nodded politely to Walker as she sashayed over to Gage's desk where he sat with a mountain of paperwork in front of him.

"Ranger Gage! So nice to see you looking much better since the last time I saw you." Agent Michaels said as she leaned against the side of his desk.

Gage grinned up at her. "I certainly _feel_ better than I did when you saw me last." He replied.

"Oh, I am sure there is another reason for that." She said as she glanced at his partner's desk, Gage said nothing, and tried to retain his cool façade, but his coloring cheeks betrayed him. "Don't be embarrassed about it, hell, I think it's GREAT! Anyone would be lucky to have a woman like that." She said.

The sudden clearing of a throat captured their attention. "Ah! Ranger Cooke! We were just talking about you!" Agent Michaels said as she flashed Sydney a pleasant smile.

"Is that so?" Sydney said as she tried, and failed to hide her jealousy over the intimate conversation she had just witnessed between them. It seems that her fears about Gage and his former playboy ways were hard to let go.

"Gage, could you excuse us for a few minutes?" Agent Michaels said as she smiled at him sweetly, Gage shot her a suspicious look before glancing at Sydney, who nodded to him with a reassuring smile.

"Okay … I have to turn in this paperwork to Walker, anyway." He said as he left their company.

"Look … I would first like to start off by saying that you are super lucky, I have known Gage for a long time and I never thought he would EVER settle down." Michaels said with a chuckle.

Sydney didn't quite know how to respond to this, so she remained silent. On his way back from handing his paperwork to Walker, Gage made a stop at the coffee station, he couldn't help wondering what they were talking about, more importantly, what Michaels was telling Sydney.

"You just make sure _he_ knows what a catch you are and how lucky he is to have _you_." Michaels said with a wink, and she turned to leave, Sydney was still confused, she had no idea why this woman, who should be her competition, was basically egging her on.

As if sensing her thoughts Agent Michaels paused for a moment. "Oh, and you should know that you don't have to worry about me, honey. I bat for the other team, if you know what I mean, I would be more apt to steal _you_ away from Gage if he screws up." She said as she left their company, giving Gage a hearty clap on the back in passing.

"What did she say to you?" Gage said, his tone guarded as he returned to his desk.

"Oh nothing, just girl talk." Sydney said with a reassuring smile.

* * *

"Well, hey there, Jinx." Michaels looked up from her glass of spiced rum and coke as a doughy middle aged man sat in the vacant stool next to her, Michaels glanced dismissively at him out of her peripheral vision; his face was pig like, complete with a wide, flat nose and small, sunken, beady eyes.

His beard had once been a mustache that had been left unkept, and his greasy, jaw length hair was combed over the top of his head in a futile attempt to hide his receeding hairline.

"What do you want, Buck?" Michaels sighed in exasperation as she took a deep sip of her drink.

"Well, no one has seen you around since the Draculs' bust, and the word is you got pinched, that you're workin' for them now." He said.

"Them?" Michaels said as she turned to face him.

"The Texas rangers!" The man called Buck said, his voice rising in anger.

"Oh yes, _them_ … sure they brought me in, they tried to pinch me, I told them a load of shit they thought they wanted to hear, and they let me go. Period, the end." She said as she turned back toward the bar.

Buck smacked a small bundle on the bar in front of her, if the bartender noticed, he made no notion of it.

"Then prove it!" He said, a menacing tint to his voice.

"What's this?" She asked

"Dragon's breath, you're gonna sell that whole damn thing for me by tomorrow this time." He said.

"And what if I don't?" Michaels said, Buck's smile broadened.

"Then we'll all know which team you chose to be with, the word will get out you're a turn coat, and you ain't gonna last long, there ain't no law enforcement organization in the world that is gonna be able to protect you."

"Well … when you put it _that_ way …" Michaels said as she flashed him her best smile as she snatched the bundle up and put it in her jacket pocket.

"Damn it! we have collared ten or more of these mutts and no one knows who the supplier of this crap is!" Gage said as he watched Michaels through his binoculars.

He wanted to barge in there, Wild West style and take the whole damn place and pinch everyone in it, but he knew that doing so would blow Michaels' cover for sure.

"Every day we don't catch this bastard, more people die." He said as he let the binoculars fall into his lap.

"Hey, we'll catch the son of a bitch, we always do." Sydney said as she put a hand on his arm.

"I sure hope it's soon, because this case is seriously cutting in to our alone time." He said as he grinned lopsidedly at her.

Sydney smiled sadly at him, he was right! They hadn't had _any_ since they caught this case, and the sexual tension between them was so thick it was stifling.

"Don't worry, when we _do_ get some time to ourselves, I will definitely make it worth your while." She said with a wink.

"Like, what did you have in mind?" He asked as he regarded her with a raised eyebrow.

Sydney leaned in close and whispered her naughty plans into his ear. The temperature in the car seemed to go up ten degrees as sultry thoughts flooded his mind.

Sydney couldn't help but laugh at the expression on Gage's face.

"I thought you wanted to maintain some form of professionalism at work?" He said.

She looked at him peculiarly. "I do."

He suddenly pulled her to him. "Then you shouldn't have whispered all that naughty stuff in my ear." He growled as he kissed her.

The world, and its pressing matters at hand melted away for both of them as Gage's tongue boldly entered Sydney's mouth to entangle with her own and she didn't care anymore about professionalism, or about getting caught, the only thing on her mind was this man and how good kissing him felt.

" _HEY! You guys taking a siesta or what! Michaels tossed all of her load, and Buck's on the move! Stay with him, we'll get this stuff back to the lab and analyze it."_ Trivette's voice crackled over their radio, causing them both to jump back in surprise.

Annoyed, Gage grabbed the radio.

"Whatever you say, Trivette." He said, not bothering to keep the dismissive irritation out of his voice.

From his car, Trivette gave the radio a peculiar look as he started his engine and headed back to headquarters.

Gage haphazardly shoved the radio back where it belonged as he pulled Sydney close before she could react and kissed her again.

"Gage! We're … supposed to be following … Buck!" She said between his hungry kisses. Before the situation got out of hand, she pulled away.

"Follow, _now_." She ordered.

Gage blew out a ragged sigh as he put the car in gear and pulled out several cars behind Buck. One thing was for sure, they had better close this case soon, because being this close to Sydney without being able to _be_ close to her was killing him, and he didn't know how much restraint in the name of professionalism he had left in him.

 _Boy, oh boy! sorry about the delay and thanks for being so patient!_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Buck's rickety eighty-something Chevy pulled into a rundown apartment complex right smack dab in the middle of the Dallas slums. Gage parked across the street from it and down a ways, hoping to remain inconspicuous.

Sydney wasn't sure if they would be able to, because their car was going to stick out like a sore thumb in this part of town.

"We should've driven that POS that you call a 'classic'." Sydney said with a tinge of dry humor in her tone.

"Hey … ! That car is a classic piece of American craftsmanship!" Gage countered indignantly.

"Sure … whatever you say." Sydney said as she rolled her eyes.

"It's okay, I forgive you, I wouldn't expect uh … someone like you to understand the value of such a fine machine." Gage said casually.

"Excuse me?! _Someone like me_ ? just what in the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Sydney said, sparks ignited in her dark eyes, and her chin jutted out in that painfully adorable way it did when she was pissed.

"You know women, they don't know anything about cars." He said as he struggled to stifle his chuckles and hide his grin, he loved pissing her off, she always looked so damn cute!

Gage immediately regretted it, because Sydney promptly socked him in the arm, hard; luckily though she didn't hit him as hard as she was capable, because Sydney was _tough_. So tough, in fact that Gage was the only one brave enough to spar with her.

He flashed her a shit eating grin as he reached for his radio.

"Get me Walker."

After a brief pause, Walker's voice came over the line.

"Walker, we tracked Buck to an apartment complex off of Cotton Belt Avenue, just past Craddock Park."

"Okay, sit tight and wait for back up, if he moves, stay on him." Walker said as he cut the connection.

"Good thing I come prepared, now." Sydney said as she unbuckled her seatbelt and turned around in her seat.

Gage tried not to stare at her as she rummaged around in the back seat for the snacked she had stashed there for such an occasion but he couldn't help it; he let his eyes wander over her figure, desire and lust, along with a slew of other feelings flooded through him like scalding water as he could see the muscles of her legs and ass flexing under the snug fabric of her jeans.

"Ah!" She said as she pulled a small black duffle from under the seat, Gage quickly refocused his gaze out the windshield as Sydney dug into the bag and handed him an energy bar and a bottle of water. If she noticed his voyeurism, she didn't call him on it, and for that he was grateful.

Gage drained half the bottle in one swig, he suddenly found his mouth and throat painfully dry, he was _her_ …. She did this to him.

Part of him hated her for it; before he had met her, it was he who enjoyed having this effect on women, but his dashing smile and playful boyish charms hadn't worked on Sydney. She was different, he was like she was inoculated against his charms and good looks, it wasn't as easy to win her over, and that subconsciously made him try harder to earn her respect … and her affections.

In the beginning he had attempted his good old tried and true game, the game of a playboy, a hunter after his next conquest. But Sydney made it perfectly clear that she wasn't going to put up with his crap

At first earning her respect and her friendship was a challenge to him, plain and simple. He put everything into meeting that challenge, and somewhere along the way, he had fallen hard for her. He knew he still had a long way to go in breaking down the walls around Sydney's heart he had unconsciously helped construct, but he was committed to the task. A sudden impact on his arm brought him out of his daydreaming; he certainly had been doing a lot of that lately.

"Hey! Wake up! Buck's on the move!" Sydney's voice rang into his conscious. Gage shoved the car into gear and pulled out two or three cars behind Buck in an attempt to remain conspicuous.

Their pursuit of Buck led them out of the slums and, to their surprise, into a small town called Westlake, which was well known in the area for housing Dallas' elite. Gage eased off further and allowed Buck to get a bit of a lead on them, he kept just close enough to where they could barely keep him in sight.

Sydney's brow furrowed, she didn't like being this far off their suspect's tail, for fear of losing him, but this wasn't a place that people just drove down every day and following too closely would blow their cover for sure.

"Damn." Gage breathed as they stopped at the bottom of the hilled street as they watched Buck's smoking dilapidated excuse for a car pull into the largest house at the top of the hill.

"How much do you want to bet that's our supplier?" Sydney said as she picked up the radio.

"Get me Ranger Walker."

* * *

"So let me get this straight, you want me to go to a judge and partition him for a search warrant based on your … 'hunch'?" The new district attorney, a tall, slender, middle aged woman by the name of Kelsi Chambers said as she looked over the top of her half-moon reading glasses at Walker.

"Yes." Walker replied, ADA Chambers eyed him for a spell, as if she were trying to decide if he was kidding or not.

"Ranger Walker, I understand the … how do I say this without coming across as brash … I understand that you are used to a certain amount of leniency with the DA's office, given your wife was the ADA, but unfortunately, I am not so bold. If I am going to court, I want solid evidence in my hand." Chambers said as she turned on heel and strode out of Walker's office.

"Well, what did you expect, Walker? She is the best, and you can't expect her to take the same risks for you that I did." Alex said, cradling her phone against the crook of her neck as she typed away on her laptop. She still held a position at the DA's office as a consultant, it was less pay, but she could work from home most days and be there for Angela.

"I know I just … it takes some getting used to, I love you and I'll see you when I get home." He said as he cut their connection, he suddenly had an idea, he picked up the phone and dialed ADA Chamber's office.

"Miss Chambers, forget a search warrant, do we have enough for an arrest warrant against Buck Eagleton?"

Chambers smiled from her side of the connection. " _That_ I think I can swing."

* * *

"Okay! Okay! I'm comin'! Keep your damn shirt on!" Buck yelled as Gage pounded on the door for the third time. He yanked open the door angrily, revealing Gage's grinning face.

"Hello, Buck." He said as he flashed his badge, Buck made a break for it out the back, he ripped to the door to the fire escape and came face to face with the mouth of Sydney's gun.

"We can take you in two ways, Buck, in the back of our car, or in the back of an ambulance on the way to the city morgue, your choice." She said.

When faced with his options, Buck raised his hands in surrender.

* * *

"I don't know why you're talkin' to me, I ain't saying anything til my lawyer gets here." Buck said.

"Okay, you don't have to talk, you can listen, and we'll talk." Gage said.

"Look, either way, you're cooked ten ways to Sunday, we picked up your little girly friend, Jinx, she had dragon's breath and she was all too happy to make a deal." Sydney said as she slowly circled the table like a hungry tiger.

"So, then why are you talkin' to me? Unless you need somethin' from me." Buck said smugly as he leaned his chair back on two legs and propped his feet on the table.

"Oh … we don't _need_ anything from you, The DA is feeling exceptionally generous today and thought that if you could offer some information that could help us, she would cut you a deal. But if you're not interested, that's cool." Gage said as he and Sydney made to leave.

"Wait, wait! I can give you my supplier! The guy all this crap comes from! He is the middle man for bringing it into the country! Just … you have to protect me! Even in prison, he'll get to me!" Buck said, his expression suddenly frantic.

Sydney pushed a pad and pen in front of him. "First you tell us what you know, _then_ we'll see about making a deal." Sydney said.

Buck was between a rock and a hard place … and he knew, he had no other choice; he grabbed the pen and paper and started writing feverously.

"This good enough for you?" Walker said as he handed the pad with the information Buck had given them to Chambers, who looked it over. "Yes, this will do. I will have your warrants by the end of the day, ready your teams." She said as she left without another glance or word.

Walker picked up his phone and quickly punched the numbers in.

"Agent Michaels, get your team together and meet us here at the end of the work day today, we located who is supplying this drug and we're serving a search warrant on him, I will brief you when you get here." He said as he hung up without giving her a chance to reply.

 _AN: I am sorry, I had to end it there or it would have been waaay too long, also reviews reviews! I love them! keep them coming!_


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 _AN: Okay, parts of this chapter might be a little … adult … so reader digression is advised._

"Boss, there's cameras all over this place, he's going to see us coming for miles, we aren't going to get the element of surprise on this one." Michaels said.

"Did someone say they were in need of a cloak of invisibility?" Trivette turned around and a huge smile broke across his face.

"Buzz? Buzz Lee? Girl, you are a sight for sore eyes! How have you been?!" He said as they hugged warmly.

"Keepin' my nose clean, Jimmy, I'm workin' for the FBI now, but what I do is classified of course." She said with a wink towards Gage.

"Now, point me to your nearest computer, I'll have you cloaked in less than five minutes." She said, Michaels motioned for all of them to follow her.

"There, you have about five minutes before he gets wise, this guy is good, he's gonna figure out that it's just a loop." Buzz said.

"Let's move!" Walker said as they filed through the front gate toward the house.

"Police! Search warrant!" Walker yelled as the DEA agents in front of him busted through the door. The guards at the door were caught off guard and reached for their weapons, Walker and Michaels put them down with one shot each.

Sydney and Gage filed through the mansion with the DEA SWAT team Sydney lead one team upstairs, Gage covered the downstairs. Sydney's frustration grew as she heard room after room be announced clear, that bastard couldn't have gotten the drop on them, he _had_ to be hiding somewhere.

Suddenly, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye in the hallway, going for the stairs.

"Freeze!" She yelled as she gave chase, the man spun around and they both discharged their weapons at the same time. She grimaced as the bullet from his forty five hit her in the cheat area and he stumbled back as hers did the same.

Sydney winced as she gingerly massaged her chest where his bullet had impacted, thankful for the bullet proof vest that saved her life, because that would have been a kill shot for sure.

"Well, there's our guy. Right through the heart, nice shot." Michaels said as she nudged the now dead drug smuggler.

"Thanks." Sydney said as she came down the stairs.

"You okay?" Walker asked as he immediately noticed that she was favoring her left side.

Gage's heart came to reside in his throat as, in the name of professionalism, he struggled against the knee jerk impulse to run at Sydney and crush her to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks to the vest." She said as she gave her boss a reassuring smile as she turned to Michaels.

"I'm sorry I killed him, I hope that doesn't complicate your case, I am sure you wanted to question him."

"Shit, girl! You did us a favor! You killed him before he could get the word out to get rid of his records and evidence, his whole rolodex is intact, all we have to do is thumb through it and start serving warrants." Michaels said as she turned to Walker.

"It was nice working with you again, Ranger Walker, you have a fine, fine team here at company B." She said as they shook hands.

"Likewise, Agent Michaels. We'll just get out of your hair, unless your team needs a hand."

Michaels waved him off. "Naw, we got this, you all have done enough already and I know you have tons of paperwork to fill out and process.

Sydney inwardly groaned as she and Gage followed Walker and Trivette out the front door to the mansion. Paperwork, she had completely forgotten about the paperwork, and with a case like this, there was going to be stacks of it.

"You know, I was thinking; it's been a long, tough few weeks for all of us, why don't we all just …. Go home and get some rest, we can start on filling out the paperwork first thing in the morning tomorrow." Walker said as he looked to Trivette with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

"Yeah, I mean …. Paperwork can be tedious, best to tackle that with a clear head." Trivette replied with a grin as Walker turned to the two junior rangers.

"Why don't you two go home and get some rest, we'll pick this up first thing tomorrow." He said, and had to bite back a chuckle as the two rangers practically dashed to their car.

* * *

Sydney tried to hide it, but she knew Gage caught her grimace, and how gingerly she eased into the passenger seat.

"Syd, are you side you're okay?" He asked, the worry in his voice evident as his bright blue eyes searched hers.

"Yeah … just sore, I feel like someone smacked me with a sledge hammer, but its still better than being dead, which is what I would have been if I hadn't been wearing the vest." She said as she offered him a dry smile, but it faded as soon as she looked at him.

His remained on the road, but his expression was so pained that it made her heart ache for him. He pulled up to a stop light and finally turned to look at her, his eyes were burning a heated passion that it almost made her forget how to breathe. She had never in her life ever had a man look at her like that.

The fire in his eyes dulled as a storm of emotions rose inside him, and he blew out a huge, frustrated sigh before he spoke.

"I almost lost you again today, Syd." He said, his voice barely audible.

"We're Texas Rangers, Gage, risking our lives is what we do." She replied as the light turned green and they drove the remainder of the way back to her apartment in an uncomfortable silence.

Gage pulled into a visitor space, they sat there in silence, after what seemed like a fortnight, Sydney couldn't take it anymore.

"Well … I guess I will see you tomorrow then." She said, as she opened her door, she wasn't sure if she kept the hurt at his suddenly cold demeanor out of her voice as she exited the car, willing her tears to wait until she was in the safe confines of her apartment.

Gage wrenched open his door and was around to her side just as she turned around.

"Syd … we need to talk." He said, unsure of how to begin, there was such a torrent of emotions going on inside him that he wasn't sure what to say, or how to say it.

Sydney rubbed her face wearily _'Oh well, best to get this over with'_ she said as she crossed her arms in front of her and waited for him to speak.

"You have got to stop talking and acting like your life doesn't mean anything, Syd. Because it DOES mean something … it means EVERYTHING to me." He said.

"Gage I don't know what you want me to do, I have a risky job, one that puts my life in danger every time I put on my badge, there is nothing I can do about it. But if you are going to ask me to give up my job, then the answer is no. I have worked my ass off to get where I am and I am not going to give that up for anyone, and if you expect me to, then ... then you never really loved me like you say you do." She said, spilling her words out in one breath, lest she lose the courage to say them.

Gage was rendered speechless again, Sydney's intuition was right on the money, how did she _know_? He ran his hand through his hair, this damn woman, she was going to be the death of him, he just knew it.

He had never met anyone that made him want to sing from the rooftops, and want to pull his hair out at the same time. The sight of her standing there, in that painfully adorable way she did when she was pissed, with her chin jutted out and her hand on her hips just made his anger melt away right there and then.

Before he knew what he was doing, he was pushing her against the side of the car and ravaging her mouth with his own. Her mouth opened in surprise at the sudden onslaught of passion from him and he took that opportunity to slide his tongue between her lips to stroke hers.

And here he was planning to tell her that he couldn't be her partner any longer because watching her risk her life day after day was torture for him, but now he never wanted her out of his sight … _ever_ and the thought of someone else watching that rear of hers made him insane with jealousy. Because he knew Barker would be first in line, and he wasn't about to give him that chance.

He didn't get a chance to think about it anymore, because she was suddenly pulling him toward the elevator. "You … are coming up stairs with me … _now_." She said, desire dripping in her voice.

Once inside her apartment, they never even made it to the bedroom, as soon as Sydney closed the door, he was on her again; he knew he should take it slow, but who was he kidding, he was a slave to his desires now.

It seemed as though Sydney was every bit as eager, for she had already shrugged out of her shirt and was working on pulling his off, all the while never breaking their kiss.

Gage's breathing quickened as he drank in the sight of her clad only in a pink satin lace bra, he could see her nipples poking through the thin fabric, hard and aching to be touched.

He obliged and undid her bra and slid it slowly off her shoulders, a growl escaped from deep within his throat as he took in the sight of her topless and he felt like the luckiest man on the whole damn planet.

Her hands, light and soft caressed his bare chest, in turn, he looked as good topless as she knew he would. Her eyes darkened with excitement as she explored his sculpted body with her hands. It was she this time who pushed him back against the couch and claimed his mouth with hers, she straddled him and took total control … and he loved it.

Without even breaking their kiss, her hands found the button to his jeans, she undid it and unzipped his fly, after the prize she could feel throbbing against the now painfully tight fabric.

His hands came to find the waist of his pants as he attempted to shrug out of them, her hands on his arms stopped him, waggled her finger at him as she stood up and pulled off her jeans and underwear and stepped out of them.

Gage's erection throbbed painfully against his jeans at the sight of Sydney's completely naked body, free of the obscurity of clothing. A flash of realization suddenly came across her exotic features.

"I'll be right back." She said as she disappeared into the bedroom, in her absence, Gage took the opportunity to free his hard, throbbing manhood of the imprisonment of his jeans and underwear.

She returned after a moment, holding a condom in her hand. His breath caught in his throat and a wave of pleasure shot through him as she slowly slid it on, just the sensation of her dainty hands performing that simple act was almost enough to make him come right there.

She straddled him again, he growled deep in his throat, he could feel the heat from her core even through the condom and it drove him mad with desire. Finally losing what shreds of resolve he had left, he clasped his hands around her hips and pulled her down onto his cock.

She leaned forward and claimed his mouth with hers this time and began a slow, agonizing rhythm. The taste of her kisses and the feeling of her breasts pushing against his chest brought him closer and closer to the point of no return, his hands tightened clasped her backside as he pushed against her; she buried her face in the valley of his neck and collarbone as her rhythm began to quicken.

She clenched her teeth and he buried his face in her as their orgasms hit them like a freight train, both overcome with too much pleasure to cry out, or even breathe. She collapsed against him, breathing hard, and his whole body felt like it was made jello.

Once she felt she could stand without falling, she rose and walked to the bedroom. A wolfish grin crossed Gage's face as he heard the shower turn on, he rose to follow her, dying to satisfy a fantasy that had long tortured him of shower sex with his beautiful and alluring partner.

 _AN: Sorry, I know, I am terrible for ending it there but man its long enough LOL, also reviews, please! They are my pay for writing!_


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